Image: Oscar Federico BodiniFascism is on the rise again in Europe as far-right parties take electoral advantage of widespread disillusion with mainstream politicans. Witness the skip-a-generation election of wicked old Jean-Marie Le Pen’s granddaughter, Marion Maréchal-Le Pen (just a rank, I know, but what an evocatively Pétainist name!) while his daughter demands a recount after failing to win a seat by just 118 votes. Where does football come into any of this? Salut! Sunderland’s John McCormick has a scholarly reply, with inevitable reference to Paolo Di Canio, who has just led Swindon Town to League One …
The Lars Word: the Bendtner enigma, Seb/Sess class, Croatian dream
Salut! Sunderland is famous for the braininess of its, well, brainier writers – Monsieur Salut is excluded on account of his dunce-like schooldays – and is delighted to present another example. Lars Knutsen, like others familiar to this site, is a Mackem in exile, West Chester, Pennsylvania to be precise, and there he applies his impressive background in chemistry as president of his own company* specialising in preclinical drugs. What about the chemistry of football, and Sunderland in particular? Lars has interesting views – reproduced from his ESPN blog** – on what went right, and what ended up wrong last season, and what to hope for now that 2012-2013 looms …
Thierry Roland RIP: France loses a powerful voice of football
Just a few days after I warmly recalled a memorable lunch with the veteran French football commentator Thierry Roland, I awoke today to news that he had died during the night at the age of 74.
Steve Bruce, Spurs and Hull City. And the challenge of supporting England
You can only guess at Steve Bruce’s thoughts as a string of modest Premier League posts sailed into view only to vanish beyond the horizon of his employability. Having downsized his ambitions and taken the Hull City job, what did he then think when the higher profile Spurs managership became available? You can also wonder at the thoughts of earnest BBC bigwigs at a loss for something dramatic to pull on the eve of Euro 2012. Two Salut! Sunderland writers placed themselves in the relevant minds …
Pete Sixsmith: all aboard the managerial merry go round
When I was young I always looked forward to the arrival of “The Shows”. In my case this was Houghton Feast week and I could never wait to get along there. Money was tight and with a limited amount to spend a prudent youth would carefully consider the alternatives. But not me. As soon as I was in amongst the smell of generators, grease, rancid doughnuts and hot dogs I would do my impression of Vivien Nicholson and spend, spend, spend. Then after a toffee apple, candy floss, hook a duck and the waltzers I realised that I hadn’t enough to go on the dodgems which was my favourite. A goldfish and a sickness induced by the aforementioned waltzers never did make up for the chance to bash into some seven year old in a gloriously sparky souped up pedal car. And I was only twenty three!
Pete Sixsmith muses over Steve Bruce’s decision to try his luck with flightless darts when he could have had a go on the air rifles instead …
What now for Redknapp and Spurs? Have England, Chelsea, Liverpool missed out?
Image: Simon KendrickBombshell or predictable? And now that ‘Arry’s gone, is White Hart Lane on the imminent travel itinerary of Moyes or Hiddink? In the first of two looks by Salut! Sunderland at the managerial merry-go-round, Stephen Goldsmith poses these questions and offers his own answers …
Goldy’s Logic: ‘attack Euro 2012 racism without distortion and sensation’
All got up by the evil meejah? Well not quite all, as the neanderthal low life in Warsaw city centre was intent on showing last night. But Stephen Goldsmith feels strongly that when racism and hooliganism are discussed, sensationalism too often triumphs over proper analysis …
Euro 2012: Nothing to fear England?
A new contributer, Josh Galley*, gives us his impressions of the opening salvos of Euro 2012 and the new manager’s approach to the task in hand. Reflecting on the build up and the first few fixtures, Josh has seen plenty of positives but isn’t yet ready to go overboard …
Euro 2012: so far, not bad despite Mexican waves and the commentariat
Pete Sixsmith gave a chilly welcome to the start of the tournament but is beginning to warm to it, even the commentary and punditry are challenging his blood pressure …
France 1 England 1: just like watching Chelsea – or Sunderland
It has now become officially fashionable – that is to say permitted by the BigClubCentric sportswriters – to regard defence as a proper part of playing football.