EFL League One

Peterborough United vs SAFC ‘Who are You?’: an open invitation to Posh fans

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a chance for Posh fans to have their say

Sunderland’s games again Peterborough United last season epitomised the problem with our Who are You? series. As happened all season, we were able to publish terrific interviews – but with the same opposing fan each time. For his efforts, James Bloodworth went close to winning a prize in our annual HAWAY (Highly Articulate Who are You?) awards.

But it is embarrassing to have go cap in hand to the same candidates. And finding new ones is a time-consuming and often frustrating exercise. Salut! Sunderland’s limited resources are constantly stretched and no one, in honesty, has time to pursue opposing supporters, cajole them and then set up and publish the interviews.

So as with all other games so far this season, we present a shortened version of the customary questions to Peterborough fans in open letter format*. Please use the Comments field to answer any or all the questions posed.

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Peterborough Utd vs Sunderland. Ross’s dilemma as he seeks seven in a row

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Jake: ‘guess the score – just for fun’

An interesting dilemma faces Jack Ross ahead of Peterborough away.

He made eight changes for the Carabao Cup visit to Burnley and watched in admiration as the team came from behind to secure a marvellous 3-1 win and a third round trip to another Premier League side, Sheffield United.

There were excellent individual performances – Denver Hume, Luke O’Nien, Jack Baldwin and George Dobson being among the names that stood out in the commentary – but above all it seems to have been an exemplary team display.

So the winning side picks itself for Posh? It does not. The team Ross played in the last league game, at home to AFC Wimbledon, also won 3-1. Aiden McGeady and Chris Maguire, absent on Wednesday night, will surely be among the first names on the team sheet for this Saturday and it is difficult to see other than a return in goal for Jon McLaughlin,well as Lee Burge played at Burnley.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Sunderland keep the momentum going against AFC Wimbledon

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John McCormick writes: yesterday Pete Sixsmith’s piece raised plenty of questions about ownership and investment. Underlying them was the question of whether or not we’d go up this season. Have we developed the ruthless killer-off streak that was missing last year?

Charlie Wyke’s form suggests we might have but two games don’t make a season. Matches like today’s are key, given that we are on the edge of the kind of winning streak that was conspicuously absent last season, and a 3-1 went some way to answering the question.

As did the seven word text Pete sent immediately on the final whistle:

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Sunderland vs Wimbledon. Can we win this one in style?

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Jake: ‘any win does the job but a thumping victory would do wonders for morale’

If you followed the game one way or the other, or saw Pete Sixsmith’s splendid match report here, you’ll know we gained three massive points at Rochdale without covering ourselves in glory.

Perhaps we should take comfort in the fact that successful teams have always had a knack of grinding out or snatching results when playing well below par or just being matched in all respects save goalscoring by opponents.

It is not sycophantic but a sheer matter of common sense to applaud a disappointing but winning performance, especially when it happens to be the third victory in a row. That level of consistency in results has been sorely lacking in recent seasons.

So without further ado, let us be having your feelings on whether, on paper, another highly winnable game – at home to AFC Wimbeldon on Saturday – will go to script.

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Sixer’s Sevens: Rochdale don’t make it easy but Sunderland get there

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John McCormick writes: I should have been there today but life got in the way, as it so often does. Instead, because I’m too superstitious to subscribe to Ifollow I’m making do with updates on various websites and awaiting mid-game texts from Pete Sixsmith (Rochdale very effective, we are less so came at half time) while watching Sky and listening to them praising Danny Graham.

Pete will be providing tomorrow’s report. From that half time text and the one below, sent just as the ref put his whistle down, it will be a gripping read

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Rochdale vs Sunderland: aiming to make it three wins in three

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Jake: ‘Click the image to reach Salut! Sunderland’s home page’

The most important point to be made about tomorrow night’s game at the Spotland Stadium is that we must aim to remain unbeaten.

But a draw would be a disappointment. Sunderland really need to maintain the momentum, indeed the winning feeling, after a comfortable league cup visit to Accrington Stanley and a gritty home victory over much-fancied League One promotion rivals.

The spirit that helped secure the three points against Pompey, plus the quality that Jack Ross has in his squad, should in theory be enough to bring us a first away win in the game at Rochdale, against whom we achieved a league double last season.

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Rochdale vs Sunderland: hard acts for Dale fans to follow

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Jake: ‘a home win on the board so let’s start doing it away, too’

Ahead of another important test for Jack Ross’s new-look squad, Salut! Sunderland poses a few questions to Rochdale fans in our own new-look Who are You? format.

We no longer launch searching parties for suitable candidates for each Sunderland game but are this season throwing open the exercise to all opposing supporters who stray on to our pages.

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Sixer’s sevens: Portsmouth make it heavy at the Stadium of Light

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John McCormick writes: Let’s not quibble. We were not good. However, we had enough character to come back from a poor goal against a team that will feature at the end of the season and that must bode well,  for morale as much as for League position. Such wins are not to be sniffed at and I’m sure the crowd will have gone home happy.

We’ll find out tomorrow whether that can be said of our men at the match, when we get a full report. At the moment I don’t know if Malcolm or Pete will supply it. I do know Pete’s immediate post-game feelings, courtesy of a seven word text that winged its way south as the final whistle blew:

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Ipswich Town vs Sunderland: would a win silence the doubters?

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Jake: ‘the mean sod has withdrawn the prize for this week’

Football fans are not known especially for their powers of measured reflection, that ability to take a realistic view rather than jump in at the first opportunity with both feet raised. Or so says Monsieur Salut.

Accordingly, the Ross Out chorus has begun. We’ve played all of one game. There are 45 to go in the league alone. We played badly by all accounts and questions have been raised about the team selection. All the same, as I said at Twitter while acknowledging that disdain for the manager is not purely a kneejerk reaction to the opening-day failure to beat modest opposition, calling for his head now is the sort of thing that takes us into laughing stock territory.

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Ipswich fans. Your chance to tell us all about yourselves – and Sunderland

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Jake: ‘a good one to win’

A couple of responses from Oxford fans ahead of Sunderland’s opening game hardly counts as a storming start to the labour-saving device of inviting opposing fans to send their thoughts on forthcoming matches between our clubs.

But let’s persevere, says Monsieur Salut. We’ve had good Ipswich Town Q+A interviews in the past and must hope a few Tractor Boys (or girls) feel inclined to answer one or more, or indeed all, of the questions below.

If this lazy version of our superb Who are You? series works, there’ll be the usual prizes at the end of the season for the best interviews. We’ll see …

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