So we have the regional bragging rights again and, more important to me, three precious points.
But beating an abysmal Newcastle United team is no more than a confidence-boosting warm-up for the potentially far greater task of grabbing another vital win, this time at home to Crystal Palace.
Palace’s home win over Man City the other night is just one of many exceptional performances since, painful as it is to admit, the bluster of Alan Pardew replaced the bluster of Neil Warnock. From looking relegation fodder, they’re in the top half and safe.
Only the strongest of team efforts, or an awful lot of luck, will see them off this Saturday. But victory would give Sunderland a second double of the season (with the next game, at Stoke, offering the chance of a third).
Get guessing with the score. Bill Cowell was right, yet again, with the derby result and will received the dressing room image you see on the regular prize mug but in a framed print. This week we’re back to the mug.
Palace fans are, of course, welcome to enter and our sponsor, Personalised Football Gifts, would come up with something more appropriate should there be a winner from that source.
Usual rules apply: be the first, before kickoff, to post the correct score below. Monsieur Salut’s decision shall be final and the prize can be posted only to a UK address.
And come back tomorrow for the Palace “Who are You?”, an interview with the Eagles-supporting (or, as she put it, EEEEEEEEEAAAAAGGGLLLLEEESS!) and Mencap-campaigning actress Kellie Shirley, soon to be seen in a four-part Sky series, The Marriage of Reason & Squalor opposite Rhys Ifans.
It is now live at https://safc.blog/2015/04/crystal-palace-who-are-you-with-kellie-shirley-racy-scene-with-morrissey-nightmare-in-liverpool/
Sample:
Salut! Sunderland: before the start of the season, a Palace fan site, Eagles Beak, carried out a big survey of how the club is perceived by others. Our contributor offered a mixed but not remotely warm view. You’re an insider but what is your impression of how non-Palace fans see you?
Kellie Shirley:
I love the Palace fans – they’re really passionate & always singing – there’s a brilliant atmosphere at the club that is genuine – not corporate! There’s not racist undertones or back stabbing. I’ve been coming with my Dad since I was little & I haven’t seen it change much. Football is competitive though and mixed with a few pints I reckon at most matches there isn’t a lot of love between supporters.
All I need add is Ha’way the Lads – and urge them not to assume Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Southampton and WBA will do the job for you by beating Aston Villa, Burnley, QPR, Hull and Leicester. But that combination of games, if only we can do the business ourselves, could give a mighty boost to our survival campaign.
In a Travel Lodge in Sedgefield, and no one got it right. Well as it turns out Dick Advo just found out how steep the hill to survival is.
We are talking the Kangshung Face steepness Dick, on Mount Everest. Beware of avalanches as you saw today against Palace. That sudden avalanche took the overpaid nancy boys by surprise.
I am pretty sure the lads will bounce back and be grabbing pies at Greggs during training, but acting as athletes is below their Millenaire status.
I woke up this morning with my head having the notion that we are about to trounce somebody like we did with Cardiff last season in the run in. So 4-1 to us.
Three chances of winning a mug. It’ turning into a good week this one 🙂
Madness and 3-3
Eric; don’t you mean “bouycoutt?”
For the first time ever I’m going to duck out of a prediction. All the good scores have already gone and I haven’t a pot of glue on this one.
Indeed I do Jeremy, but I couldn’t remember how the daft buggers had misspelt it! I’ll make a prediction for you: 6-6 and you’re welcome to the mug!!
SAFC 4- 3 Palace……..
and SAFC 8 Fouls, 7 cards – Palace 15 fouls 1 card.!!! Better get the spirit level to ensure the Sols a level playing pitch.
Bloody hell the refs Anthony Taylor……..’So far this season, he has shown 92 yellow cards and five reds in 23 Premier League games.’
3-2 to The Lads,but again would be delighted with any win.
Er 2-2 , but I’d prefer a win obviously . Can’t see us capitulating under DA like we have done in the past after beating the B&W’s
2-0 to us. Important game as we need to build on sunday’s game unlike after other wins.
3-1 to Palace, mug to Jeremy
Go away you boro moron!
What about 0-0? No, I am feeling optimistic, 4-2 to Sunderland. 4-2 it will be. Pardew’s bogey team.
Going to be a tough game,Palace are doing well at the moment,but I think we will take them 2-1.
Thumbs up buddy. That was my chosen scoreline too. You just got there first.
2 excruciating jokes at the expense of our not so noisy neighbours.
1. A branch of Greggs was broken into in Newcastle and the safe was stolen (true story). However, when they got it home and blew the door off they were sorely disappointed. The safe was full of money, there wasn’t a pasty in sight.
2. Electoral canvassers in Newcastle are having difficulty in getting householders to open their doors. Apparently they think it’s Alan Shearer coming to offer 2 free tickets to SJP.
Just heard on Total Sport that the “Forces Of Evil” are planning another boycott. Let’s hope they have learned how to spell it!
I think it will be a tough game but I think Palace will Nick it
1-2
It’s gonna be a right Grand goal fest, 3 points for Sunderland with a 3-1 win and i’m gonna get the winner of the national – (i’d just settle for the 3 points really :))
Palace to win, I think 0-1 to Palace
1-0 to Sunderland. We could do with another three points.
Surprising how many of you think we wont score……..so to even it up…1-3…..Palace
Richard: a comparison of predictions and actual results, pretty much since the competition began, would be bad for our nervous systems.
2-0 to us Defoe & Fletcher
I think that DA will get another performance from Sunderland. 2-1 to SAFC.
His Smugness has been very accommodating in the past so I’ll go for our favourite score against him, three nowt to the lads.
I’m not confident (after just one decent performance) about winning, but would be surprised if we lost.
That means I reckon it could well be a draw, so will go for 1-1.
I hope, though, I’m wrong and that we batter them!!!
Five is the buzzword. Five nowt.