Pete Sixsmith continues his series of knowledgeable retrospective glances at opening games of seasons past in over a half-century of supporting the Lads. Southampton supporters may also enjoy nostalgic relief from the astonishing goings-on down on the south coast, where their club appears to have been taken over by madmen (or women) …
Two down, one to go, with a win and a defeat so far. Our man in Portugal, Richy Duggan, offers his report and analysis of the late defeat to CD Nacional. That leaves Vitória Setúbal on Saturday before it’s home for the final fortnight of the pre-season preparations. Richy will be pleased to hear the five World Cup replica balls for his Hendon Young People’s Project arrived yesterday – Salut! Sunderland having to raid the piggy bank to pay excess postage of 57 euros – and will be up on Wearside for hand delivery as soon as M Salut finds himself back for a match …
Last season, CD Nacional finished fifth in the Portuguese top flight,qualifying for the Europa League. So the win that looked for a long while like coming would have been an impressive second win in Sunderland’s short trip to the Algarve, Instead, a late goal brought defeat, Gus Poyet remained upbeat, as managers do when able to pass off pre-season reverses as essentially exercises in fitness and blending. Here’s his post-match e-mail from Portugal’s holiday playground …
From our Own Correspondent, as the BBC might say. Richy Duggan, Salut! Sunderland’s man on the Algarve continues his diary of an enviable little break following the Lads – and the Boys, it seems – on pre-season duty. Mika’s tweet (see below) summed up his own feelings; the picture accompanying this introduction shows him in fan-friendly mode …
Delighted to add another goal to my name! Hopefully many more to come.. So blessed ??????
— Mikael Mandron (@MikaelMandron) July 29, 2014
That was the tweet from Boulogne’s finest, Mikael Mandron. Great to see such desire from the 19-year-old forward whose penalty decided the first of an unfamiliar-looking Sunderland’s friendlies in Portugal. Here’s what the boss made of it in his customary post-match e-mail to Monsieur Salut and one or two others. Malcolm Dawson asks the delicate but pertinent question in Comments: what is the explanation for the boss’s repeated use of players most of us would have considered at best on the the fringe of his first-team squad? ….
Pete Sixsmith offers a generous but thoroughly deserved appraisal of Graeme Anderson, who has performed with great style and accomplishment the delicate tightwire act of reporting on SAFC for the local paper without falling off either side (self-destruction or obsequious compliance) for a long stint that is now ending as he enters the world of freelancing. See also the comments of Ian Todd*, co-founder of the SAFCSA London and SE branch, who alerted M Salut to Graeme’s departure …
Richy Dugggan, project manager at the Hendon Young People’s Project in Sunderland, is among the lucky supporters out on the Algarve for the warm-up trip. Tonight Sunderland play the first of two games, against Recreativo de Huelva, and Richy will be there to pass on his thoughts to us.
You may recognise the name from recent Salut! Sunderland reporting: Richy’s admirable project is the beneficiary of the generosity of Raich Carter junior, son of the Hendon-born Sunderland (and later Hull City) legend.
We have our spies, or at any rate a spy, in Portugal who promises faithfully to act as Salut! Sunderland‘s foreign correspondent. No spies in Lincolnshire, so far as we know, so we must just trust the reporters got it right and Danny Graham really did score. Pete Sixsmith had mates there who can fill us in on the detail if they wish. The man himself felt Tynecastle held more attraction than either, or was just an easier or better trip …
For the last couple of years I’ve reported on our progress towards the Deloitte Money Football League. I had just about started an update in February when other things took priority – we had a double to celebrate, then a cup final, and then we started digging what we thought was a grave, only it turned out to be a tunnel. I finished my piece around the start of the World Cup, when there was a lot going on and then went off on holiday. Now here we are, in the transfer window with friendlies underway and next season’s fixtures around the corner, and I’m hoping our esteemed editor can find space between Pete’s reports and Borini’s never-ending saga.
It was a treat to re-read Tasmin Archer’s interview, now seven years old and therefore from the infancy of Salut! Sunderland. But Tasmin was quick to point out, when asked to update anything that needed updating, that her commitment to Sunderland AFC, far from wavering, has taken on a new dimension.