Martin’s Musings on Stoke City 0 Sunderland 0

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Jake's imagination

Martin O’Neill was cautious again with his starting line-up, Sess on the bench and Catts in the team with just Fletcher forward. The radio reactions were predictable perhaps, Gary Bennett happy with the point, praising the defence and Colback in particular, some supporters happy with another point, but just as many critical with the lack of creativity and attacking ambition. “This was the worst ever Premier League game I’ve seen,” said one. “Don’t wait up for MOTD” our own Pete Sixsmith advises. The manager explains his thinking in his regular post match e-mail……

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Sixer’s Sevens: Stoke City 0 SAFC 0. ‘A real stinker’

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Jake gives Sixer star billing

Pete Sixsmith said at half-time the match was worthy of the Wear Valley Sunday league, but only division two. When, after an even worse second half on some accounts, the referee Mark Halsey’s assistant announced eight minutes of added time, Nick Barnes on BBC Radio Newcastle’s live commentary suggested the official had a “particularly sadistic sense of humour”. But if we cannot score, can we at least hang on for a point? We can. Let us leave it to Sixer to identify any positives, beyond Phil Bardsley’s return and solid defending from O’Shea and Cuellar, in his matchday report. I imagine some of you can hardly wait …

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French Fancies: Steed marches on and Nancy fans show Sunderland the way

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This week, we combine a very brief Salut! Sunderland’s Week with an even briefer French Fancies …

No need to rely on the French speakers in the Sunderland squad – Sess and Mig for starters but who knows what other linguists lurk in the dressing room? – to get the message of this photo, taken at the home ground of the French Ligue 1 side (for now) Nancy, across in time for the Britannia. We’re not talking A level or degree stuff.

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Salut Reflections: Mignolet and Manchester United, ‘crude’ SAFC-Newcastle chants

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Jake detects thinking

‘Reflections’ is very much the domain of Stephen Goldsmith but he’s moonlighting, housemoving and heaven knows what else so begs other Salut folk to step into his shoes. It falls to Monsieur Salut to look at two issues that leap from the pages and screens: Manchester United’s supposed interest in Simon Mignolet and the rather fanciful notion that terrace chats should be tasteful …

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Stoke v SAFC Who are You?: ‘Arsenal hate us, we don’t care’

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Jake wants answers ...


For this week’s edition in what is proving an outstanding series of”Who are You?” interviews, Salut! Sunderland turned to James Whittaker*, one of Monsieur Salut’s fellow contributors at the ESPN Soccernet site**. Stoke City entries of past seasons gave him tough acts to follow. He rose to the challenge with a spirited riposte to M Wenger, a damning assessment of one of Stoke City’s Sunderland Old Boys and an unwelcome scoreline prediction …

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Voice of America: hardly on the Armstrong scale but now target football cheats

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Jake longs for stars in stripes

The downfall of Lance Armstrong has set people thinking and talking about sporting cheats. Salut! Sunderland has banged on about it for years, earning the admiration of some readers but irritating others. Trying to con the referee is admittedly on a different scale to the systematic use of performance-enhancing drugs*, but it is a scourge of modern football all the same. For a partisan site to campaign on such issues and keep a straight face, it has to be willing to recognise the blatant Gyan (often), Bent (sometimes) or Larsson (at Wolves) dive just as clearly as it sees it in opponents, and we have tried to be consistent. Our friend out west, Robert Simmons, believes football could learn a useful lesson from his side of the pond …

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The Aston Villa ‘Who are You?: from hurricane Sandy to ill winds in Sunderland

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Jake wants to know ...


SORRY: TECHNICAL PROBLEMS MEAN THIS INTERVIEW APPEARS IN FULL AT

https://safc.blog/2012/10/safc-v-aston-villa-a-villain-from-the-teeth-of-hurricane-sandy/

When Holland Pintarch* agreed to be our Aston Villa candidate for the “Who are You?” hot seat, we had no idea she would have to rise heroically above Hurricane Sandy to answer the questions in time. Things were tough in her part of Pennsylvania and we are relieved that it was no worse than that in her case. Holland is the type of supporter who dismays a certain type of other supporter, as our exchanges explore, but Salut! Sunderland believes her responses are outstanding and offer as vivid a profile as possible of what drives an overseas fan of the game to follow a British club …

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