So Burnley departed the Premier with great grace, leaving a gift for the other strugglers by dumping Hull right in it. QPR capitulated at the Etihad and there`s just one relegation place left …
Let’s start with controversy. I don’t really want Newcastle United to go down, except if it’s instead of us. And I’ll be hoping for Boro to progress on Friday to the playoff final, followed by victory at Wembley.
Who approached Tuesday night thinking “we can rely on old Brucie to mess it up and do us a favour?”,Elmo will have the sort of stinker he played for us and Jordan Henderson will lead Liverpool to victory for our sake as well as theirs?
I thought my phone screen was frozen when it kept saying 1-0 every time I looked. Bruce had got his result, Elmo providing the cross from which Dawson scored the winner, and Hendo could do no more than huff and puff with the rest of a misfiring Liverpool side.
So the night ended with Hull a lot closer to safety than us. Heaven knows what Leicester will do to Chelsea tonight to make us even glummer.
You might remember the theme of this series of posts was to track the progress of selected teams towards 38 …
John McCormick writes: listening to Gary Bennett on Radio Newcastle’s stream couldn’t give me the full picture of an eventful night at Hull. The pre and post- goal screams of
“Fill that hole! Fill that hole! Oh no, if we could see it up here how could they not see it down there?”
did not inspire confidence. But we muddled through.
Or did we? Here’s the man of the moment, Pete Sixsmith, and his verdict.
Let Rob Hutchison‘s summary speak for itself: ‘This Get out of Jail Free card may be kept until needed or sold. Fear we might need a whole pack of them after that sorry shower. Was it as bad as the end of MoN’s reign?’…
Colin Randall writes: Pete Sixsmith watched the first half in dismay. To my ‘utterly atrocious’, he admitted to feeling ashamed. Sunderland perked up in the second half, Patrick van Aanholt finally brought some pace and width and we were level. Mike Dead had booked Wes Brown for the early challenge (a fair one) from which Huddlestone’s low free kick was turned in neatly by N’Doye. A point was better than none though Jack Rodwell, who had headed PVA’s cross via an arm into the net, fluffed a chance to grab a winner and N’Doye was denied by a breathtaking stop by Pantilimon. The first posting of the Sevens had my emergency verdict – but it is now updated with Sixer’s own seven word summation …
Peter Lynn is as wearied by events as Nic Wiseman, but heads for Hull full of measured hope, rational thoughts about the impact of events on SAFC and abundant pride in the Sunderland travelling army he’ll be part of at the KC stadium …
Well the headline gives you the hope. The reality comes at the KC when Gus Poyet once again tries to a) send out a team that can defend and score and b) avoids defeat against Hull City.
It is difficult to be optimistic after recent gormless displays but we have to keep the faith. Hull win more games than us but also lose more. We have players who should be bursting to prove themselves, a manager who ought to be raring to go for victory not just another goalless draw.
Here’s the place for some interesting thoughts on Hull City’s Sunderland connections. Brad Rial*, a Tiger with a platform (he’s a part-time trainee at the Hull Daily Mail), has a lot of time for Steve Bruce and a trio of ex-SAFC players at his club. He’s more than a little concerned about the deteriorating relationship between owner Assem Allam and the fans … oh, and he thinks we’ll lose at the KC but stay up …
At 24 games in it was time for my review of the relegation prospects I set out at the beginning …