Do not get too excited, but if Michael Carrick can choose the 2007 festive period to end a losing sequence of games at the Stadium of Light, perhaps we can break a duck of our own.
In matches this season against teams I place in the North-west Midlands – OK, plus the North West (Blackburn) – we have mustered No Wins, No Draws and Seven Defeats and conceded 20 goals, scoring a mighty two in reply (thank you Dwight and Grant for your consolations).
This sorry record comes from losing narrowly and heavily to Man Utd, embarrassingly to Wigan, narrowly (but comfortably) to Blackburn, unluckily to Man City, decisively to Liverpool and catastrophically to Everton.
Having just seen Spamalot at the Palace Theatre in London, I am prepared to borrow from lowbrow art and Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.
Despite my downbeat footnote to Sixer’s Sevens, I look forward to the Lads giving me one hell of a shock on Saturday. If Sunderland do beat Bolton, I will be delighted to find myself forced into making the promised apology for my pessismism. And our run of eight in this geographical mini-league would then look like this:
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*** And congratulations to the BBC (and Sunderland)’s Martin Emmerson, and his wife Julia (Julia Barthram of Tyne Tees TV) on the Christmas Eve birth of their baby daughter, seen with Julia above. The little lass is as yet unnamed though there has been bidding on Abigail, Eleanor and Olivia. It will be at least nine years before she can hope to be good enough to play for the Lads, and even that presupposes the Lads get no better in the meantime. But she can make another appearance here just as soon as Martin sends a photo of her suitably clad in Red and White.
nice to have another grandchild martin and julias first.Lets hope she becomes more adept at netball than gordon is at goalkeeping.four goals now at home from freekicks just outside the box his positional sense is woeful.I have advocated the signing of robbie savage since leicester days he was the ideal replacement for bally perhaps better late than two in the bush as they say.why is connelly now seventh choice centre forward?is cavanagh not better than etuhhhhh? Rumours about off field problems with halford abound,has he played his last for us?love to sign Patrick Berger on a short term deal an what a pity Kevin Phillips couldn,t be coaxed back six or seven goals from him would be attainable and that could keep us up.thought of the day play dickson etuuuuuuu at centre half as hell never make a premier midfielder but he,s big and strong a bit like nyron in fact.
Have a good new year colin keep the faith as ever.
Well done Martin – this should keep you away from football for a while. I am sure that Granda Barry is already doting on her.
Colin thanks for the write-up. Not sure I can put the baby through the horrors of being a Sunderland fan just yet. Her arrival into the world was stressful enough. Don’t want to push it too far!