Salut!’s week: trouncing West Ham, overtaking Newcastle .. Man United v Barcelona

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One week ago, we were worried that our depleted team we might be embarrassed at Upton Park, leaving us a place worse off than this time last season at lowly 14th. The 3-0 win made us eat our words, and very tasty they were too, at the start of a frantic week in which we ran three end-of-season reports, previewed the “Who are You?” awards and intruded on the higher ground of the Champions’ League. If you missed anything or want a reminder, read on …

The unmagical figure of £46 at one point raised the possibility that our final game of the season would be played out in the absence of the magical figure of Pete Sixsmith.

He swallowed his pride, overcame his anger with Sullivan and Gold and forgot pre-retirement impoverishment to opt for the day out anyway. And had a jolly good time. Click here to see his account of a good win which may have been against a thoroughly bad, demoralised side but lifted us to 10th place, two above Newcastle United (though the end-of-season reviews – see below – put that in perpective).

What else did we dream up in the hope of entertaining or stimulating supporters of Sunderland AFC – and the many others who stray in here because, well, because they do?

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French Fancies: Lyon lionesses, Dijon mustard, Corsican spirit – and Evian

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Last but one edition of French Fancies for the season: saluting the ladies of Lyon, commiserating with Le Mans, wishing one former Sunderland man well for tomorrow, when Ligue 1 relegation is settled, while congratulating a second on winning promotion last night. And, for once, no digs at Bordeaux …

The French season is nearly over – the remaining Ligue 1 relegation issue, who goes down with Lens and Arles-Avignon, will be resolved tomorrow night. The Sunderland interest is Eric Roy, manager of Nice, who need a point at Valanciennes to be sure.

Nice could lose and still survive but would need Nancy (home to Lens) or Caen (home to Marseille) to lose, or Monaco only to draw at home to Lyon. Une histoire compliqué, as the French might say and Eric knows he’d be a fool to rely on one of the results elsewhere going his way.

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Manchester United v Barcelona: rooting for ‘worst United side in years’

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Diplomatic relations were established between Salut! Sunderland and Republik of Mancunia a couple of seasons ago. Scott the Red is the republik’s head of state and comes here from time to time to offer his thoughts or ask for ours on SAFC/United-related matters. Who better to preview the Champions’ League Final from a United perspective? And while we’re on, congrats are in order: Scott’s site came second in the EPL Talk blog-of-the-year awards (M Salut prefers to draw a veil over our final position). He’s a bit pessimistic about tomorrow night but loyally predicts a United win all the same …

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Having a Newcastle pal is one thing – but wear his shirt?

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Actually the boot was on the other foot, or the shirt on the other back. Two mates, one a Mackem and the other a Mag, had a bet on who would finish higher … you’ve probably guessed the forfeit but can read all about it by clicking here. It reminds M Salut of the Celebrity Supporter interview with a young Sunderland actor Sean Landless (pictured), who starred with Billy Connolly in Gabriel and Me. The part called for Sean, as a Toon-supporting Tyneside teenager, to try turning himself into an angel to save his cancer-stricken father. “I had to dress up in a sort of feathery dress,” he said. “But having to wear the Newcastle shirt was worse.”

The first story tickled Jeremy Robson‘s fancy …

Reading this story in the Sunderland Echo about two mates, Andy White and Josh Dyer, the first of whom supports Newcastle Utd and the other the mighty Mackems, made me laugh; or should I say cringe almost uncontrollably and then laugh.

The thought of wearing one of their shirts is completely repugnant. I just couldn’t do it. It strikes me as a strange mentality that these lads possess, in order to enter into such a thing.

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Manchester United, Barcelona … and Swansea: guess who wants Gyan?’

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Clásico de lujoImage: americanistadechiapas

It was just a cheeky Sunderland-related question slotted into a quick interview with a Barca fan ahead of tomorrow’s 2011 Champions’ League Final. Who among the current SAFC squad would you like to see in the blue and red of Barcelona? The answer came back quick as a Messi shot. Start learning Catalan, Asamoah. Among all the world’s culers – to adopt the mildly rude nickname for Barca fans – we found ours in London, and he’s Welsh. And Neil Watson* is a man in need of a ticket; as a son of Swansea, he has one for the playoff final against Reading on Monday. If you see an optimist wandering around London wearing a banner pleading for help to get him to Wembley tomorrow night too, you may have encountered Salut! Sunderland’s first Champions’ League “Who are You?” candidate …

Later today: Scott the Red from Republik of Mancunia …

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Sunderland report cards: (3) how we missed Darren Bent’s goals

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The report cards are coming in thick and fast now. If Bill Taylor brought us down to earth with his pastiche of the post-match Steve Bruce e-mails, stand by for a few more home truths as Jeremy Robson casts a highly critical eye over goings-on at the Stadium of Light. Salut! Sunderland readers who think they know better should make contact and offer their own end-of-season reviews …

Few of us expected the wonderful start made to this last campaign.

Sadly, most of us could have expected from experience to suffer a second half collapse in form that occurred since Christmas and the departure of one Darren Bent.

Irrespective of whether we find the facts comfortable, Bent’s goals even in a lacklustre period for him, accounted for the difference between the first and second halves of the season.

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Sunderland reports cards: (2) separated from Newcastle only by colour of stripes

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Bill Taylor (L), with the Germany coach Joachim Low on a trip to Stuttgart

Also in the series:
* Progress achieved, but Newcastle can smile too

You were warned. Not every supporter of Sunderland was mollified by the 3-0 win at West Ham that took us above Newcastle United to a 10th top finish. There’ll be plenty of room in this series for optimism and praise. Salut! Sunderland is in the hands of those readers who choose to write end-of-season reviews. Bill Taylor is not so much downbeat as philosophical as he turns his thoughts into a spoof of one of those post-match e-mails we are accustomed to receiving from Steve Bruce. It will annoy some, amuse or stimulate others …

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Man City, Arsenal, Villa, Wolves vie for ‘Who are You?’ awards

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Published by Octopus, co-sponsors of our Who are You? awards

Another update on this year’s “Who are You?” awards from Salut! Sunderland, with news of an extra prize to add to the goodies already promised by our friends, who happily include a Sunderland supporter, at When Saturday Comes …

WSC: co-sponsors of the Who are You? awards

This is the contest that will not change the winners’ lives. Or not much.

Each year Salut! Sunderland judges choose the best contributions from opposing supporters to our “Who are You?” series, the questionnaire that precedes each SAFC game home or away, league or cup, provided we can find someone which, with one sad exception involving Stoke City, is generally the case.

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Sunderland report cards: (1) progress achieved, but Newcastle can smile too

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As Niall Quinn prepares to convene his inquest into the more troubling aspects of a season that ended quite happily, Salut! Sunderland begins its own review of events from August to May. As promised, our contributors are applying their own powers of scrutiny and analysis to the questions of what went right, and what went wrong. M Salut gets the game under way …

First of all, an admission. In the immediate post-match glow of seeing Sunderland rise to a respectable 10th place finish, I overlooked two details: unbeaten in London and ending the season above Newcastle United.

Of course both matter, up to a point. We can be proud of having beaten Chelsea and West Ham away, with draws at Fulham, Arsenal and Spurs. And it is gratifying to remain the top North-eastern club. But I agree with the comment from “Billy the Fish”, which appeared here among responses to Pete Sixsmith’s matchday report from Upton Park, that we should really be concerned with our own performances, our own need for trophies.

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Soapbox: dignity at West Ham, ‘as new’ banners at Newcastle

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Who, as Pete Sixsmith put the question last night, would have guessed it? We were drifting unhappily towards the end of a season that had promised so much and, if truth be known, left us anxious to get the last game over and done with. Then a team still missing several key players turns in a performance, for a full 90 minutes, that was as convincing as some of our recent second halves have been flat. Pete reports on a satisfying finale …

That was a satisfying way to end the season, wasn’t it? Admittedly we were up against a team who were utterly demoralised, led by an interim manager and playing in front of a crowd who looked as glum as I would be at a Michael McIntyre gig.

But, as the old adage goes, “you can only beat what is in front of you”, and that is exactly what we did. We did it in some style, with excellent performances from Sessegnon, Colback , Henderson and Zenden. You can’t ask for any more than that.

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