EFL League One

Sunderland end of season review (5): a final whimper but ´I’d have settled for this in August’

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Rob: a much-travelled Mackem

Rob Hutchison sees Sunderland away games a lot, a fact of life for many exiled down south. This is how he rated the season, ending lamely but exceeding his expectations after successive relegations. Check out best away days of the season as nominated by Rob’s son Louis and daughter Olivia at this link …

Four fifty five pm on Sunday and it was done.

The season faded away in a whimper that was oh so Sunderland, snatching a defeat from the jaws of hope and optimism. I shut down social media and left the moment the whistle sounded, could not get out of there quick enough. Cut to an hour later on a train back to Ruislip filled with mixed supporters.

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End of season review (4): mock not, Sunderland’s proper exam lies ahead

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In our latest end-of-season review, Paul Summerside pinpoints negatives but dwells on the progress made in a disappointing season just ended – positives that he feels should stand Sunderland in good stead for next season provided we learn how to manage our strengths and weaknesses …..

In the build up to Sunday’s playoff final vs Charlton, I was chatting with my daughter, who is currently revising for her GCSE mocks.

We discussed the possibility of defeat and its consequences.

“It’s like your mocks, they are an exam to find out your strengths and weaknesses,” I said. You’ll get another chance next year. That’s when it REALLY matters.”

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End of Season Reviews (3): where Sunderland went wrong.

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Do we need to keep a sense of perspective? A year ago we were down and out. Now we’re just down, after failing at the final hurdle. But that was with a hastily assembled squad and a relatively inexperienced manager.  We know there will be changes over the summer and we know when the fixtures come out we won’t be looking at other clubs and thinking “I’ll support them this season”. We are Sunderland, and we are Sunderland ’til we die.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have an opinion on what did go wrong, because things did go wrong. In particular, in my own opinion, the transfer windows were not managed well. There had to be some latitude at the start of the season, given the changes we’d experienced, but what about January? By then problems were obvious but there were too many mistakes in addressing them and it cost us.

I’m going to try to show this below by the judicious use of stats, and have chosen some that back me up. It’s possible you won’t agree and you’re welcome to leave a comment, with or without stats of your own. In fact, I’d love to know what you think of my efforts and my conclusion.

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End of Season reviews (2): Ken Gambles reports from the third world

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John McCormick writes:

It’s over. It’s done. All that is left are the broken dreams, blowing in the wind like old chip wrappers on Wembley Way.

And the inquests, recriminations, praisings, optimism, the hope we can’t stand.  We’ll have a few of these in our end of season reviews, which began with Deputy Editor Malcolm Dawson’s contribution prior to the play off final and continue until everyone who wants to has had their say, when Pete Sixsmith will wrap up the series and the season in fine style.

Ken Gambles is next up

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Sixer’s Heartbreak Sevens: The Wembley curse lives on as Charlton gain promotion

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John McCormick writes: I watched on TV. I thought we were poor throughout, with our forwards and midfield struggling to link up,  and as a result we created few chances. I’m not saying Charlton deserved their victory but they did manage to put the ball into the net three times whereas we didn’t manage it once.

But being there in person makes a difference. Pete Sixsmith may have a very different opinion from me and I’ll abide by his judgement, which we can expect in a day or so. For now, he has little to say, though the seven words he texted do enough to convey what we all feel:

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Salut Sunderland’s End of Season Reviews: (1) seeing the bright side of life

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Above, our illustrator Jake manages to adapt the late Jackson C Frank’s brilliant Blues Run the Game and create a song for Sunderland at Wembley. Bravo.

And now Salut! Sunderland kicks off its annual series of end-of-season reviews even before the season’s quite over.

Our deputy editor Malcolm Dawson wants to make the point that come what may on Wembley Way, Sunderland AFC is in a much better place at least since the short-lived spell of optimism after Big Sam’s great escape and probably since the glorious part of the Peter Reid era.

If you feel you have something worth saying by way of your own review of the season, follow the link in this piece …

OK, I know the season isn’t  officially over until sometime after 5pm UK time on Sunday, but whatever the result I feel it appropriate to post my thoughts during the lead up to the game.

Many people live in the moment and events change those peoples’ perceptions whilst others look back to the past, reflect on former glories and perhaps have an unrealistic perception of where things are today.

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Sunderland bound for Wembley with nothing to fear from Charlton

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Jake and and Jack capture the moment

Who would have thought? Wembley not once but twice and in the same season.

Monsieur Salut is old enough to have been at the famous Bob Stokoe/Jimmy Montgomery/Ian Porterfield FA Cup final on May 5 1973. Sadly, the promised ticket didn’t materialise so the game was watched with plenty of beer to hand in a first-floor flat in Uxbridge.

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The Salut! Sunderland Haway awards: Peterborough, Wycombe, Rochdale and Bristol Rovers in the running

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Jake: ‘thanks to all who participate’. Click this image to see all of this season’s interviews


It has become a bit of a stuck old gramophone record, Salut! Sunderland‘s pride in a tremendous season of Who are You? interviews with opposing supporters.

Judging is at an advanced stage for our HAWAYs – annual awards for Highly Articulate Who are You?s – and with only a couple of sets of votes still awaited, front-runners are emerging.

League One has been a goldmine for the series (not forgetting our cup-game interviewees from other divisions)

As Monsieur Salut put it when writing to the judges: “I could have put them all in a hat and drawn three at random, so good have so many of the interviews been.”

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Sunderland and Playoffs. Part 6: Problems with Crystal Palace

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John McCormick writes: I have a problem with this game. I was working in Sunderland later in the week and had access to a ticket but had prior unbreakable work commitments in Liverpool on the Monday. It wasn’t until the Wednesday that I arrived at the Roker Hotel, (booked for me but not by me, you understand) parked my gear and went on a tour of the local hostelries. Most were flat, many still had no beer I’d drink, me not being a lager man, but I managed to get enough to keep me numb the next day.

But I don’t really have a problem with Palace. My Balham-born friends were supporters, if they supported anyone, and were not seduced by those fancy clubs across the river. Can’t complain about that.
But  it’s different for Pete Sixsmith

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