Two-one all over again, and Pete Sixsmith hails the immense positives of Saturday. He also laments the behaviour of a few idiots who invaded the pitch (we might more vehemently lament the laziness of those sections of the press* intent on heaping all the blame on SAFC and its fans, ignoring the dreadful parts played by Joey Barton, and those NUFC supporters who aimed chair seats and other missiles at fellow human beings, children included…
So sang Van the Man in the days when Peter Reid was carrying all before him on Wearside. And I am as sure as a man who can be sure can be that there will be lots of other days like Saturday November 25 as we begin to show the world what a good side Roy Keane is building at the Stadium of Light.
Cisse 20 Richardson 75
Make no mistake, dear reader, we outplayed them. For the first time since 2001 we have a better side that is better balanced, better organised and is just, well,….. better.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
The wind made conditions difficult but quality players like Malbranque, Richardson, Ferdinand and the magnificent Cisse can overcome the wind, the rain and probably an ice storm of severe magnitude because they are REALLY GOOD PLAYERS.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
It’s a long time since we have been able to revel in REALLY GOOD PLAYERS. You have to go back to the days of Quinny, Super Kev, Emerson Thome and Julio since we last had REALLY GOOD PLAYERS. Now, we seem to have them in abundance.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
Can you think of a real weakness in this team? I can’t. Can you think of any one of our players who would not get in another Premier League side? I can’t. Can you think of a time when the bench was so good that two current internationals can’t even get on it? I can’t.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
We needed this win. I’m tired of telling people that I taught the last Sunderland player to score a home winner against Newcastle. It was embarrassing being reminded by Mags that the last time we beat them at home, Thatcher had just started to destroy the country, Ottawan were in the charts with D.I.S.C.O. and Tony Blair was sitting in the Leazes end watching Jackie Milburn pass the ball to Hughie Gallacher.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
The performance would have had Brian Clough nodding in approval. Players (mostly) did what they were told to do. Steed and Kieran ran at their pedestrian midfield and Cisse pulled the hapless and totally overrated Taylor all over the park.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
At the back we had two lapses. One gave Ameobi a free header, which he took comfortably. The other allowed him to show the world how clumsy he is when he lashed into the massed ranks of Mags when even Jonathon Stead might have scored.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
At the end grown men cried, mothers offered their children up to Roy and winsome maidens in the East Stand pledged themselves as baby mothers to Djibril and Kieran.
The mood was spoilt a little by some slightly over exuberant celebrating in the South Stand,( sorry, no criticism or moralising from me on this one) but it should not disguise the fact that we beat them comfortably.
Cisse 20, Richardson 75
Two sensible Mags of my acquaintance said as much themselves and one of them confessed to being really worried now that Spurs seem to have sorted themselves out. I just hope he is right.
Final score:
Sunderland 2 (Cisse 20, Richardson 75)
Mags 1 (Nonentity 30)
* from the London Free Press (Ontario) to The Daily Telegraph