Fulham-SAFC Who are You?: ‘a little in love with Lily Allen’

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Jake resorts to old tech to touch base with our Fulham technocrat

We all know that but for the necessary evil of publicists, Lily Allen would be a regular on these pages, offering her bons mots each time Sunderland played Fulham. Next best thing given the obstacles placed in our path? Step forward Matty Deller, radio presenter, Fulham nut and star of the Ballsy Banter podcast. He
loves Lily; he also has a lot of time for Martin Jol, Clint Dempsey and Lee Clark and rather more than we have for one Asamoah Gyan. Here, then, is the first of our two Fulham ‘Who are You?s’ …

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Luke’s World: hailing James McClean, Sunderland, Irish Republic, signing of the season

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James McClean by Jake

On Saturday, as we stuttered unconvincingly to 2-2 draw against relegation-haunted Bolton Wanderers, important eyes were focused on one man. The Irish team manager Giovanni Trapattoni is preparing to name his squad for Euro 2012 and was again having James McClean closely watched ahead of his final decision on whether to include him. Reports from Dublin quote the boss as saying our man’s chances are 90 to 99 per cent. And he scored a cracker against Bolton. Luke Harvey continues his personal reflection on the season just ending with an assessment of McClean’s impact at the SoL …

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Cardiff beaten, Leeds next. Sunderland’s champion women make winning seem easy

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All photos courtesy Sunderland Women's Football Club

Remember the time when the men could be expected to go out and do the business? Not that long ago. Now, they are under heavy pressure – largely of their own making – to finish the season with a belated flourish, at Craven Cottage on Sunday and at home to the confirmed or would-be champions Manchester United a week after that.

With the Lasses, it’s different, or seems to be. Give them a task and out they go to accomplish it. Bravo!, Chapeau! to Sunderland Women’s Football Club for bouncing back from shocking exclusion from the Super League to retain the Premier League title by beating Cardiff City 2-1 away yesterday. That is some achievement and there’s a cup final still to come on Sunday.

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Sixer’s Soapbox: all square versus Bolton as Wigan run riot

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This was another game that we might have expected to win. Since the MON revolution got off to such a fantastic start, the reality of the squad’s capabilities is maybe beginning to show. In recent weeks we have had to settle for draws against sides we fans thought should be beatable and the hopes of a top eight place are now on hold. Saturday’s game produced another disjointed performance against a side supposedly fighting for survival. The Chelsea hammering of QPR and the effect it has had on the relative goal differences must give Trotters’ fans cause for optimism. Their point at the SSOL was deserved but whilst they go into the remaining weeks of the season dreaming of Premiership survival we must once again content ourselves with the hope that summer signings will lead to greater things. At least we are not caught up in the dreaded drop avoidance scenario this year. Pete Sixsmith gives his views on the game and speculates on what the team selection tells the manager about some of his squad.

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Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 2 Bolton Wanderers 2. Excellent goals, no glory

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Jake, Sixer and brick walls

This was so typical of the poorer parts of the season: easy surrender of possession, sloppy defending and a failure to build on or even protect a lead. Fortunately Sunderland also broke the April duck with two well-taken goals by Nicklas Bendtner and James McClean to make sure we at least were not defeated.

But a 2-2 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers, with plenty to play for if we seriously want to match or better last season’s 10th finish, is short of acceptable even allowing for the opposition having a great deal more at stake. And Martin O’Neill knows it. Only the alertness of Craig Gordon, on his welcome if shop-windowish return from long-term injury, prevented us throwing away three rather than two points in stoppage time.

Jake: 'we've seen all too much of Mr Draw'

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