Martin’s Musings on SAFC v Norwich: O’Neill frustrated so how must Hughton feel?

Jake’s imagination

Malcolm Dawson writes…..

with the club urging supporters to renew their season cards before April 4th, the team is doing little to persuade us that will be a wise move – unless of course you see the extra games that Championship football brings as added value – because make no mistake there was little on show today to convince the faithful that relegation is anything other than a distinct possibility. With no real goal threat from open play, even with a man advantage for a full hour, and a poor decision from the ref who denied The Canaries a clear penalty we were fortunate to come away with a point. At this stage of the season it is probably not a good time to consider replacing the manager, but in his post match e-mail to M Salut Mr O’Neil admits that defending set pieces and creating chances are things that the team should be doing better. So whose responsibility is that then? We had the better of the officials’ decisions this afternoon and I’d be surprised if the manager doesn’t agree once he’s seen the replays. Anyway, this is what he has to say.

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Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 1 Norwich City 1. Yet another letdown brings storm clouds

Jake gives Sixer star billing
Jake gives Sixer star billing

This is where Pete Sixsmith records his instant verdict, in seven words, on each Sunderland game. We’ve all been so often that it should be like water off a duck’s back. A so-called must-win game – and for once the phrase seemed fully justified, at least to anyone with an eye on forthcoming games. And what happens? Another dreadful disappointment, another self-imposed hill to climb, a degree of luck in getting and staying level – and two more precious points dropped and little rational hope of gaining (m)any more in the immediate future. Pete’s Soapbox may be edged in black but will certainly not be for the squeamisb after another horror show …

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SAFC v Norwich City: keep spirits high as you Guess the Score

 

'The usually tight git's giving one away without strings for a change', says Jake
‘The usually tight git’s giving one away without strings for a change’, says Jake

As promised, Salut! Sunderland is on an upbeat track. There is a time for carping and seriously critical analysis but that time is in the days immediately following some disappointment on the field.

Plenty of such material was published here and that is how it should be.

But now, an absolutely vital match of the sort we get around this time of the year most seasons is looming. “Must-win” is another contender for football phrases that ought to be banned, since failure to live up to the instruction does not always mean the end of the world, even our small world as Premier League participants.

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Sixer’s (1973) Sevens: SAFC 2 Luton Town 0. No mistakes

Jake gives Sixer star billing
Jake gives Sixer star billing

This is where Pete Sixsmith records his instant verdict, in seven words, on each Sunderland game. It is March 1973 and he’s a happy chappie after joining 53,150 other souls to watch the Lads dismiss Luton Town and set up an FA Cup semi-final against (well, we don’t know yet – the draw’s on Monday). We’re two days earlier that the actual 40th anniversary of the game but didn’t want this series to clash with Sunday’s real-time match versus Norwich city.

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The Luton Soapbox: Sunderland take another stride towards Wembley

Sixer by Jake
Sixer by Jake

Pete Sixsmith thought he might have seen everything with the fabulous 3-1 win over mighty Man City in the fifth round. Luton Town presented less glamorous quarter-final opposition and the football was not quite so scintillating. But we’re in the semis and that is what counts … continuing our 40th anniversary celebrations of a great year for Sunderland (two days early to avoid a clash with Sunday’s game)

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SAFC v Norwich ‘Who are You?’: snogging Martin Peters’s son, massaging Newcastle egos

Jake asks the question
Jake asks the question

Kate Sussams* is a Norwich lass with a grand turn of phrase, infectious humour and a warped view, doubtless formed by indoctrination as an exile on Tyneside, of the relative virtues and failings of Mags and Mackems. She thinks the world of Delia, and not just for her cooking, thinks Grant Holt should play for England and believes Sunderland’s never-say-die qualities will drive us on to a resounding, er, goalless draw against the Canaries on Sunday afternoon … ps anything that looks like a typo is either Norfolk dialect – or a typo

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From Russia with undying, wearied love: ‘end the futilty of supporting Sunderland’

Jake's vision of plenty
Jake’s take on Andy’s Five Year Plan

Andy Potts*, a Sunderland exile in Moscow, has been promising to write for Salut! Sunderland since not long after the October revolution. He still hasn’t, or hasn’t quite, got round to it. This is a contribution of his to the gripping saga of Sunderland-supporting folk, near and far-flung, that is the Blackcats e-mail list. Just in time this week before we slip into our traditional suspension of hostilities, not always observed, as another matchday approaches, Andy offers a cocktail of thoughts that will give SAFC management indigestion but is more constructive that the Molotov variety. An equally well argued riposte, calling for patience, appears as the first comment …

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McCormick’s Craic: down among the dead men, a lifeline for Aston Villa

John McCormick: reviewing the trends
John McCormick: reviewing the trends

So who is going down? For virtually the first time this season neutrals are mentioning Sunderland as serious contenders. Given our awful run, and the tough bunch of games to come, that is hardly surprising. John McCormick has been studying trends again and comes up with potentially good news for Aston Villa, though he still sees QPR and Reading going. At whose expense would Villa survive? Ours? Not according to whatever can be gleaned from the stats John has been reviewing. Read on but expect to be blinded by this branch of science …

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