Pete Sixsmith finds chinks of light in what others see as a dark season for the North East. He may find another if the Mags still contrive to go down. ..

At professional level, we would all agree that the North East has had a miserable season. On a scale of miserable it can only be surpassed by the misery exuded by MPs who have been told to pay back their swimming pool, horse manure and broken toilet seats allowances.

Three Premier League clubs struggling, Hartlepool only safe because Northampton imploded and Darlington in administration and probably liquidation. Not a great record for the self styled “Hotbed of Football”. Arthur Appleton will be rotating in his grave!

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Last season was obviously a massive game for us as if we hadn’t won that we’d have found it very difficult to stay up.

So I think it helped us that you were safe by then and seemed to have started summer early.

This season, as you say, things are the other way round with you desperate for the points whilst we now look all but safe. Whether we’ll have taken our foot of the gas remains to be seen as we’ve yet to actually pass the 40 point mark but I wouldn’t expect us to put in such a flat performance that you’ll come and just take the points. I think if you’re going to leave with three points you’re going to have to work for them.

And now for the questions:

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Pete Sixsmith originally said the Sunderland women’s team had lost the FA Cup final against Arsenal by 2-0, so it brought some consolation to check the itv.com website and find that unlike the Lads yesterday, the Lasses were able to pull one back right at the end.

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It promises to be a busy day at Salut! Sunderland. For many of us, I suppose, it was the mind-numbing meekness of our surrender against a competent Everton side that shocked the most. Not sure the old computer will be able to cope with the venom to be expected from the keyboard of Pete Sixsmith, but the recriminations have already begun to be felt elsewhere. These thoughts, from Gerry Naughton*, one of our Irish supporters (though his allegiance long pre-dates Drumaville/Quinn/Keane), appeared first at that excellent home of wit and wisdom known as the Blackcats list. They merit repetition here …

I’ve supported Sunderland since the late 60s. As a young lad I used to pester my mother to bring me to Dalymount Park in Dublin to watch the Republic of Ireland play “soccer”. My favourite player was Charlie Hurley. He was the difference between Ireland getting trounced or losing by just the one or two goals.

As you all well realise following Sunderland is a roller-coaster ride. We know that when we reach a high it is sure to be followed by the inevitable fall! We can’t seem to escape the yo-yo. The elation of promotion or even seventh place finishes in the Premier League never seems to last long enough to feel a sense of security. Maybe when we stayed up last season there was a sense that we had finally arrived to the promised land of premier league stability. But now, again, we can’t seem to stop the force of the fall!

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Pete Sixsmith shares some thoughts on Roy Keane sharing his thoughts …

Once again, Roy has been letting the world (or The East Anglian Daily Press) in on his views on Sunderland AFC. His revelation that Andy Reid is a little overweight and struggles to complete a full game is about as earth shattering as the Which? report that made the staggering revelation that motorway service areas are a little more expensive than ordinary shops, restaurants, and filling stations.

So, why is Roy doing this?

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… as well he might after last week’s insulting display at the Hawthorns.

On the official SAFC club site, Ricky says the players have reacted “vigorously” to the difficult few days that have followed their collective absence from a game none of them should have needed the least encouragement to treat as utterly vital. He has been “encouraged” by their response.

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Another season of European football already assured. In the FA Cup final. Regarded once again as a force in the top flight. Not bad for what Everton’s chubby neighbour calls a “small club”. In returning to Roland Hughes*, the star of an excellent Who Are They? last season, we assumed Rafa would not be near the top of his Christmas card list. But then we’re just humouring Roly really, in the hope that his team will be kinder to us on Sunday than they have been in our last few encounters …

It’s been a fantastic season again. I was actually quite worried at the start as I really thought our place as the “next best team” would be threatened by more teams than in previous seasons – Villa, Spurs, Man City.

Thankfully, we’ve confirmed a place in Europe again (four top-six finishes in five years, not bad), and not just thanks to the other teams’ underperformance. We’ve also won a place in the FA Cup Final having beaten Boro, Villa, Liverpool and Man Utd to get there.

We are where we are through hard graft, some classy performances and having fought against the odds with key players (Yakubu, Arteta, Cahill and now Jagielka) out for long stretches of the season.

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Yes, I know it’s tempting fate.

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