Jake asks the questionLet’s move straight on from “job done” at Southampton and glory v City to a match that presents a mighty challenge to Sunderland’s resurgence. For the Tottenham Hotspur edition of “Who are You?”, we invited a regular contributor, John McCormick* to introduce his daughter’s erudite Spurs-supporting boyfriend. John writes: “When someone tells you he is a season ticket holder, spends his life looking at the behaviour of spherical objects and has written about rare harmless morons you might make a football connection. It’s not until you become aware your hearing is going and he’s actually written about rare charmless hadrons that you’ll realise you have been talking to a particle physicist, and a brainy one at that. You might expect anyone with all that brain to support Sunderland but that’s not always the case. Today’s guest, Dr Will Panduro Vasquez*, is a prime example. He exhibits quantum properties by existing in two states simultaneously as he’s not only a full-time Higgs Bosonist but also a full-time Spurs fan, and here he is to explain why …”
A Forest fan on the radio expressed the hope that Roy Keane’s presence at the 4-2 defeat of Leeds did not mean he was about to be named manager. More rang in to register disgust at the treatment of Sean O’Driscoll. Meanwhile, Henning Berg’s reign at Ewood Park also ends, in his case after fiftysomething days. Jeremy Robson is aghast at a creeping tendency within football …
It was one of those games where I chewed my finger ends for the last half an hour or so. I couldn’t tell from my seat if Johnson’s shot had gone in and it was only as the South Stand roared we could be certain in the NW corner. At 1-0 up the tactic seems to be to defend deeper and deeper and City have the talent to break down any defence in front of goal. That said we had chances to put the game to bed but with Joe Hart coming forward for the injury time corners and Lescott brought on as an attacking option I feared the worst. But the Lads held on and oh how we celebrated. Then as the score came in from Old Trafford we celebrated some more.
Jake's imagination
For the second game in a row Martin O’Neill in his post-match e-mail to M Salut can praise the whole team and the home support.
After his rare Saturday off – he gave Southampton a miss – Pete Sixsmith chose a great comeback day, seeing Adam Johnson’s winner help Sunderland to a third successive home win over Man City – and a mightily useful third win in four games. It was indeed the sort of game and therefore the sort of day for which we, as Sunderland supporters, live. Don’t worry if City moan about overwhelming pressure and results against the run of play; the winning of football games is about scoring goals and, where neecssary, defending well. Come back to the site for much more on this sensational result including Sixer’s full assessment in a day or so …
Stéphane Sessegnon had not long joined Sunderland from Paris Saint-Germain when Monsieur Salut first sent him greetings from the home of his club before PSG, Le Mans.
SALUT! SUNDERLAND WISHES ALL CONTRIBUTORS AND READERS, WHOEVER THEY SUPPORT, A FABULOUS CHRISTMAS
Doug Higgingbottom is a one of those people we should salute as mainstays of the game of football. He has always supported Manchester City, not just now with desert gold to make success probable but back when they descended into the third tier. He watches the Under 18s, the Under 21s, the first team in training and shares his thoughts with fellow supporters on a City forum*. His answers to Salut! Sunderland‘s questions ahead of the Boxing Day match between our club and his were a delight to read …
