Salut! Sunderland would much rather readers looked at and commented on Pete Sixsmith’s thoughts from Old Trafford or the Jimmy Armfield interview ahead of SAFC v Blackpool.
But here, for what it is worth, is this week’s edition of the billet doux I get after each game from Steve Bruce. Others may have received something remarkably similar so no pretence here that we’re really on first name terms.
Dear Colin,
Manchester United were very impressive and sometimes you have to hold your hands up.
It’s tough to come here with a full-strength team, let alone one with six or seven missing.
Maybe I was a bit naïve too, but in the first half you had to marvel at the quality of their football because we couldn’t get anywhere near them.
We had to try and stem the tide at 1-0 because we were wide open. Make no mistake, they are a very, very good team who will take some beating for the title.
In the first half we didn’t keep the ball and pass the ball well enough, but we were better in the second half and we needed to be to make a fist of it.
Maybe I should have tightened things up from the start, but when you’ve got six or seven missing your hands are tied.
We’ll be better for it – we’ve got two home games coming up now and it’s important we bounce back.
All the best
Steve Bruce
I thought of adding a mischievous postscripts along the lines: “I know some of you are scratching your heads at why Paulo da Silva is on the bench week in week out, and remains unused week after week no matter who has to come off or why … ”
But the truth is I had writer’s block and couldn’t imagine how he might begin to explain it.
Monsieur Salut
I don’t understand the mentality (I’m not saying it was Steve Bruce’s mindset but other people were certainly thinking it) that said the ManU game didn’t matter, it’s Blackpool and Blackburn that are important. No, they’re all points, they’re all important. If we’d gone to Chelsea with that attitude, we wouldn’t have come away with the stellar result that we did.
This is why today’s game worries me a little. Blackpool only know one way of playing – attack, attack, attack. I hope we’re ready for that and not caught on the back foot.
I think if u go to old trafford with a formation such as 4-5-1, u are only delaying the inevitable, of man utd breaking u down. Steve Bruce said prior to the match that teams go to old trafford with formations that are negative. U have to at least try and take the game to them, i think we did, we just were totally outclassed. Missing 6 players doesnt help your cause!
I completely agree tom. Mentality plays a huge part, and without the right mind set we might as well wave bye-bye. However, it’s the first time we’ve brought out the white flag against the big guns this season, so let’s hope it was a blip, and the enforced changes were the root cause.
We’re Europe-bound my dears – mark my unpopular words!!
I fully understand the reasons for SB and the Club not wanting to raise expectations this season. However, the time has come for Club, management, players and fans to stand up and be counted if we are ever to achieve anything of note.
All footballing people can see that we have a very good side; yes, margins are tight in the league this year, and it will be the outfits that aspire to the top, and believe that they can get there, that will take the prizes in tight competitions. We should not be afraid to raise our horizon this season. I felt we went into the Man U game totally defeated; yes we had good players missing, but it was obvious that we needed to go into the game with 4-5-1 if we really believed we could get something out of it. Nedum’s decision not to physically clash with Giggs as he slightly lost control of the ball leading to the first goal beautifully summed up our mindset at that point i.e. we’re grateful to be sharing this pitch with you, and we will try not to upset anyone!
Hopefully Catts will re-align thinking on Tuesday in front of a good crowd. We must stop being so meek!