John McCormick writes: This morning some alleged reds were giving me stick down here, prophesying Coates being rubbish and a score of 4 or 5 nil, among other things. My worry was not that these poor, deluded fools, who cling to the belief that they’re still a top club and that Anfield is a decent stadium (they should try going to it, perhaps), might be right but that without Kaboul and O’Shea we wouldn’t be able to stem the advance of even a mediocre attack. And we couldn’t. We weren’t as bad as recent scores suggest, but we still lost. How badly? We’ll have to wait for Pete Sixsmith’s more considered analysis to answer that, but for now here’s his instant post match verdict, delivered in seven words, no more, no less:
Just a spot of fun with a serious subplot. Whenever Liverpool visit the Stadium of Light, it offers an opportunity to recall the most accomplished dive many of us have ever seen. And what is more, it worked, fooling a seasoned ref and gaining Liverpool a draw.
That slice of hopeful humanity known as Sunderland supporters will once again demonstrate monumental patience on Wednesday and troop through the Stadium of Light turnstiles to see what the Lads can muster versus Liverpool.
Perhaps some of us are too hard on them. They are professionals, broadly doing their jobs to the best of their abilities, individually and collectively.
Sixer: ‘winter looms – time to start wrapping up’. But In green? Sobs takes the fashion honours
From a late cameo role to help preserve the lead at Crystal Palace, Danny Graham – in his 31st year – went straight into the Under 21s lineup to face Liverpool in a league cup tie. Top of the Barclays U21 Premier League, SAFC had already beaten the Scousers once and surely started favourites. Graham taught the young ‘uns a thing or rather two, but it wasn’t enough. Pete Sixsmith braved the cold to bring you this report on what went wrong …
Sam Myers with young Oscar, already orderd to support Everton. Can SAFC make Oscar wild on Sunday?
Last season, Hannah Myers was one of Salut! Sunderland‘s Everton ‘Who are You?’ interviewees and came second in the annual HAWAY (Highly Articulate Who are You) awards. So we’ve been back to the Myers household and pressganged her old man, Sam Myers*, into the hot seat. Doubtless in years to come, young Oscar will be answering questions to some whippernsapper successor to Monsieur Salut. Sam likes SAFC, believes Big Sam can save us with time to spare but expects Sunday to go to script.
But footballing allegiance in the extended Myers family gets complicated. Life on Merseyside may have made Hannah’s dad, Alan, call Everton ‘us’ and he is doubtless predicting ‘we’ will beat Sunderland. But he’s a Redcar – or more precisely North Skelton – lad and his first footballing love was Boro. He was there for last night’s penalty shootout win at Old Trafford. But who will he be shouting for when Boro (‘us’ last night) host Everton (‘us’ the rest of the time) in the quarterfinals? Sam has passed on his father-in-law’s emphatic response below ..
Salut! Sunderland has been banging on for years about diving, the feigning of injury, unprofessional attempts by players to get opponents booked or sent off and other forms of cheating. The issue is raised with every “Who are You?” interviewee and I can think of only one or two who said too much fuss was made of it.
But should we really accept that British players are largely blameless, or that they were until they caught the nasty habits of Johnny Foreigner?
Erin’s Twitter photo: ‘where did you say Hackett and Baines is, Pete?’
A grand weekend read for those who missed it the first time round – and it comes with Erin Borini’s seal of approval though she has not yet turned up at Sixer’s for that cuppa or to be shown round the vacant house next door …
Pete Sixsmith was inconsolable when Salut! Sunderland, in common with Hello! magazine, lost out to OK in the bidding war for exclusive coverage of Fabio Borini’s Tuscany wedding to Miss Erin O’Neill. Now he makes up for that disappointment, forming the official ‘welcome to the North East’ party as the happy couple plan their new life on or near Wearside. And guess what? Sixer’s recipe for happiness had Erin in stitches (see her retweet below) …
