How Kone can keep up with the Lads if loaned to Strasbourg

The defender formerly known as a hero of Big Sam’s survival season

Tongue in cheek, Monsieur Salut offers our outgoing Paris-born Ivorian defender a useful tip should he be anxious to follow Sunderland from loan exile abroad …

With reports suggesting Lamine Kone’s ultimately wretched time at Sunderland coming to an end, albeit in unsatisfactory fashion with a mere loan to last season Ligue 2 champions in France, Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace, Salut! Sunderland has news that will surely gladden his heart and barely disturb the small change in his pocket.

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Sixer says: Look through any window and see Sunderland’s changing squad

Pete Sixsmith then (as in not so long ago)

John McCormick writes: Pete Sixsmith is a man of action. As soon as the deadline passed he sprang to work, with the result that this arrived early on Friday.  We held it back a day to give our readers time to reflect on the goings-on at this club of ours.

By now you’ll have had time to form your own opinion, as I have. I wouldn’t be surprised if our opinions change as the season progresses but it’s the here and now which matters, and here, now, is Pete’s analysis.

I find myself in broad agreement, and optimistic. How about you? Let’s have your opinions too.

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Sixer’s Norwich Soapbox: Players are showing commitment to the club and to the support

Pete Sixsmith then (as in not so long ago)

John McCormick writes: Pete Sixsmith has finally made it home from seat U2 in the Carrow Road football stadium (hence the reference in the introduction to Saturday’s Sevens).  He probably has just enough time to grab some rest before he heads off to Sheffield. But before he gets his head down here he is with the heads up on a game more than a few of us expected to be difficult.

As ever, it’s a fine piece of writing. The bonus is that this time it’s about an excellent Sunderland performance:

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Moyes on the boys v Spurs: It’s a good point

Jake’s take on this season’s manager

John McCormick writes: I had a slow-to-stop feed and couldn’t get the audio from the SAFC website so I have very little to go on. I did think this was a hard fought point and that we made, and needed, our luck.

What of Mr. Moyes, who had a ringside seat with no stuttering, pauses or (thankfully) crashes. Here’s what he said after the game:

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Pickford and Kone: must-keeps or let-goes to Everton, West Ham, elsewhere?

Kone: yet again the subject of transfer talk
Kone: yet again the subject of transfer talk

Monsieur Salut says: the international break makes me twitchy. No serious interest in the football, lots of time to worry about Sunderland. So let’s have a poll …

Are we, then, resigned to Jordan Pickford becoming another Jordan Henderson, red-and-white through and through but grasping, understandably, at opportunities higher up the footballing ladder than where Sunderland find themselves placed?

Do we reluctantly accept that pressure from Everton, or West Ham or someone else with pots of money to spend and heads to turn, will lure away Lamine Kone in January?

And could we live with one or both departing provided – are you listening, Mr Short? – adequate replacements are secured before anyone is let out of the door? So not just Vito Mannone fit again – though that matters, too – but people coming in, and coming in as a pre-condition of anyone else’s departure.

JP: local lad made very good indeed
JP: local lad made very good indeed

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The only whinge from Bournemouth 1-2 SAFC: don’t drive Lamine Kone away

OGB
OGB

On Saturday, as remarked upon by everyone including Bournemouth fans, Sunderland’s support was magnificent.

I came across one little Cherries snipe about the one-minute silence being interrupted at our end and even that was simply wrong. The noise wasn’t much and came entirely from the concourse, where no referee’s whistle signalling a tribute was about to begin could have been heard and no one can have had any idea what was happening on the pitch. And even then, people near me went “shhhh …” as if the innocently noisy could hear.

But I do have one whinge …

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