Chelsea

Relegation poll: Middlesbrough, Hull or Sunderland? Arsenal and Manchester Utd? Vote now

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John McCormick:
John McCormick. reading the past, looking to the future

I’m getting a bit tired of the title (and Monsieur Salut should apologise to any reader lured here by thoughts it was a poll on religion; the word inexplicably replaced relegation in the headline when published and still appeared some time later at the newsnow.co.uk site) .

But just because we have some decent players, led by one of the Premier League’s most experienced managers and backed by a tremendous crowd, we can’t assume we’re safe.

Our record is not good. We’ve been one of the survivors for too many seasons and we can’t take anything for granted. Even now there will be some fans somewhere rubbing their hands as they look at the fixtures and thinking ‘Sunderland, that’s an easy three points’.

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The Lars Word: acclaim from a big Sam fan

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EvertonHwidescreen

As Lars Knutsen says, the season’s not over yet, writes John McCormick. But we’re all walking just that bit taller and smiling just that bit wider. The reason, according to Lars, is that we have a manager who is not just up to the job of keeping us up but who is also capable of taking us forward …

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SA’s Essay: Shattering (for the Mags, that is)

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Jake's take on Big Sam
Jake’s take on Big Sam

John McCormick writes: I e-mailed Colin yesterday to say I wouldn’t be available to do much this weekend (what with birthdays, daughter flying in from the States, alcohol to be consumed, etc.) I nearly wasn’t around right from the start as everyone had left for the restaurant before the final whistle blew and I had to shut down various feeds, set the alarm, leg it to the meal, and so on. But I did get there in time and then, as one of the people at the party was just over 1 year old (Born on the day we did 5 in a row, as it happens) we had to leave early, which meant I got back earlier than expected. As a result I had time to log on and find the very personal letter our manager had sent to Colin, and which had been forwarded exclusively to me.

It was so good I just had to share it.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Sunderland 3-2 Chelsea. The stuff off dreams. Magnificent, Lads

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Jake: 'One word: magnificent'
Jake: ‘One word: magnificent’

Colin Randall writes: Sensational. After a heartbreaker of a goal at the end of the first half, Sunderland came back from 2-1 down to win with wonderful strikes from Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe to add to Wabi Khazri’s first-half screamer. The referee Mike Jones had a stinker and at times made it look as if SAFC were playing 12 men with some crazy decision all over the pitch. He should have sent off Cahill in the first half (Terry did go right at the end) and repeatedly got his calls utterly wrong. Never mind. One win – at home to Everton on Wednesday – and Sunderland are safe yet again. Expect Pete Sixsmith‘s considered account to be somewhat upbeat; this is where his seven-word instant verdict appears …

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Chelsea Who are you (1): Very high highs and not so low lows

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Jake: 'no cross words from Neil
Jake: no cross words from Neil

John McCormick writes: This being an important weekend, we’ve decided to double up on the “who are you” contribution. First up is my guest, Neil Tabor, like Colin and myself, exiled but keeping his faith for decades. Not that it has been difficult for him these past few years.

I didn’t ask Neil to predict the final places until after last weekend. I nearly didn’t ask him at all…

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Sunderland v Chelsea Guess the Score: the reckoning

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17 (17) Newcastle United 36 8 9 19 39 64 -25 33
18 (18) Sunderland 35 7 11 17 40 58 -18 32
19 (19) Norwich City 35 8 7 20 35 61 -26 31
20 (20) Aston Villa 36 3 7 26 27 72 -45 16
POS LP CLUB P W D L GF GA GD PTS

Is this the most significant Guess the Score in the history of Salut! Sunderland running the competition? Yes, I hear some reply, but only since the last “most significant” one or until the next.

Think about it, though. As a result of our failure to pick up points when they have been there for the asking, we are now looking at a table that may well require us to take seven points from the remaining three games. I fully expect Aston Villa and Spurs to offer the flimsiest of resistance to Newcastle and that’s not even taking account of what Norwich might do with, like us, three games left.

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Night time is prime time in Sunderland’s latest great escape bid

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Paul Summerside, with
Paul Summerside with better half Sharon, keeping the faith

The atmosphere at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland pressed for the equaliser against Crystal Palace, which Fabio Borini finally supplied in style, got Paul Summerside thinking.

Call it positive thinking, or plain old clutching at straws over post-match pints at the Avenue, but he reckons we are more fired up as a side in evening games, especially at home and when – as is usually the case as a season draws to a close – there’s a lot to play for. There’s one such game to come in the run-in -the still-to-be-rescheduled Everton home game – but Paul senses, maybe, more to come. He also takes heart from the competing priorities of some of the teams we’re still to play …

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