Manchester City

Salut!s week: Man City moans, Gooner whines, Argyle anguish, Baggie bravado

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It was the week that started badly, with a thumping at Eastlands, and could therefore hardly get worse. Salut! Sunderland got its hand-wringing out of the way as early and as best it could before moving on to other things …

One day soon, a mug like that could be yours. Well, we’ll still designing it but the idea is to make a modest start to Salut! Sunderland merchandising.

The text sizes obviously need adjustment. You might even suggest a better slogan: “Salut! Sunderland – not as bad as you thought” springs to mind. “Buy a mug? You’re having a laugh”? “M Salut! & Sixer; two prize mugs”? There could even be a Newcastle version with the handle inside the mug.

So what, if you haven’t been paying proper attention has been going on here this week? Click on any sub-heading to see the full item …

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The Manchester City Soapbox: a shambles from start to finish

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Steve Bruce knows it, Niall Quinn knows it and you can bet your life Ellis Short will leave neither of them in any doubt that he knows it, too. This was a catastrophic apology for a performance and came tailor-made for extending a dismal run of games that has brought one point, no goals since Gyan’s against Spurs and considerable despair. Pete Sixsmith endured the Eastlands massacre …

Up until 4pm Sunday had been a very pleasant day. A new coach to take us there, good company, an early arrival in Uppermill and a stroll along the Huddersfield Narrow Canal to the Diggle Inn, where a lovely pint of Copper Dragon Golden Pippin was consumed. Back to the Wagon, a half of Ginger Tom and off to Eastlands hoping for a point.

Then it all went wrong – and wrong in huge capital letters as we capitulated to a very good Manchester City side.

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Man City (2) 5 SAFC (0) 0: the Premier’s soft touches

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Soft touches, or maybe just mugs. This is the result some of us have worried about for a while. Another tonking reminiscent of St James’ Park. Utter rubbish. And that was written with a few minutes to go. Blow the whistle ref, please! …

We’ve got used to awful starts this season.

They don’t come much worse than this one, with two goals conceded in 15 minutes with a minimum of effort needed from Man City, good as they can be.

The simplicity of the first goal from Adam Johnson, or rather the ease with which the chance was created, would give nightmares to any FA instructor on basic defending. Where was Phil Bardsley?

We know where he was for the penalty. And I do not fault Howard Webb for giving it. It was a late challenge, City made the most of it but no serious complaints.

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Man City v SAFC: Trautmann to Tevez – a true fan speaks

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From the Man City museum

A “grand read”, said Pete Sixsmith of our Manchester City “Who are You?” interviewee’s replies to the Salut! Sunderland questions. “Shows the way that the vast majority of football supporters share the same emotion,” said Phil Johnson. “It was a delight to hear Peter Kelly’s views here. They were those of a proper football fan, the likes of who seem to be in declining number these days,” added Jeremy Robson. So who is Peter Kelly?

Well, he is the second City fan I have got to know because of holidays taken in the Far East. Last year in China I met Dan Wild who agreed to sit in the hot seat for a match that turned out to be Mark Hughes’s final one in charge. For today’s equivalent fixture, I turned to Peter*, a regular at the Malaysian hotel where I spent a great week in January. I heard about him while there; the kind Brit who had dug into his own pockets to kit out the hotel staff’s own team, suitably named Kelly’s Heroes. He’s back there just now but, before flying off to Penang, obliged with these deservedly praised answers which merit a second run …

Salut! Sunderland: We beat you with that late penalty earlier this season but what was Carlos Tévez thinking of when he missed that fabulous early chance?

… that he had already scored is my guess. He does miss quite a few, but gets back into position time and again and doesn’t fret. All great goalscorers do that.

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Man City v Sunderland: a Blue day at Maine Road

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Not much of a happy hunting ground for Sunderland, but Pete Sixsmith can hark back beyond Eastlands to Maine Road …

The bandwagon rolls on to The City of Manchester Stadium tomorrow, a ground where we have lost on each and every occasion we have played there. The chances for tomorrow are not great on paper, but if Asamoah can do to Lescott what he did on Tuesday, you never know. We seem to have an almost full squad for this one, so The Brucester’s team selection could be interesting.

I had a few decent days out at Maine Road. The first time I went, I went to the Manchester Programme Shop in Upper Lloyd Street, clutching a 10/- note saved from my paper round, with the express intention of buying programmes and badges. I came back with issues from City, United and non-league clubs I had never heard off at that time – Mossley, Dukinfield Town and Wythenshawe Amateurs if memory serves me correct. I still had change for my admission to Maine Road and a big pork pie and a woman.

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Salut!’s week: boycotting West Ham, loving non-league, facing Man City

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Each week, when we remember that is, Salut! Sunderland gives the busy, occasional visitor a taste of what he or she may have missed. Just because Sunderland weren’t playing last week, it doesn’t mean we weren’t still looking for ways of keeping interest alive. This is a glimpse at what we thought worth talking about …

A £46 price tag for a frankly rotten seat in a doomed stadium to watch, for us, a meaningless – but final – game: fair or rip-off?

Salut! Sunderland is in no doubt as to the answer to that question. Mr Sullivan and Mr Gold may even know what we think, since our discussion on whether SAFC supporters should boycott to game has featured at Hammers fan sites, too.

Read what we – and, in reply, some Hammers as well as Sunderland fans – had to say by clicking here.

And follow the same drill for the other highlights of Salut! Sunderland‘s week by clicking on each sub-heading if you want to see the full posting:

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Manchester City v SAFC: ‘what a difference all that dosh makes’

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Kelly's Heroes

… the main difference being that you can now “see a man in blue passing to another man in blue”. Last season, I met a Manchester City fan on holiday in China and he kindly agreed to sit in the hot seat for a Who are You? questionnaire, which appeared just before what turned out to be Mark Hughes’s final match in charge. I returned to the Far East to find a candidate for this Sunday’s equivalent fixture. Peter Kelly* is a regular at the Malaysian hotel where I spent a great week in January, and he even forked out to kit out the hotel staff’s own team, suitably named Kelly’s Heroes. He’s back there now but, before flying off to Penang, did the honours with some smashing answers …

Salut! Sunderland: We beat you with that late penalty earlier this season but what was Carlos Tévez thinking of when he missed that fabulous early chance?

… that he had already scored is my guess. He does miss quite a few, but gets back into position time and again and doesn’t fret. All great goalscorers do that.

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Ha’way the Lasses – with apologies to Manchester, Stoke & Bolton Lads

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Image: Women’s Football North East


Once again Salut! Sunderland has reason to salute the Sunderland Women’s Football team, victors in the FA Cup match that actually mattered …

The FA Cup semi-finals will be played between Manchester United and Manchester City, and Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers.

It has not escaped the attention of everyone that M Salut’s four semi-finalists, as nominated in a preview that appeared here on Saturday morning, were Arsenal, Reading, West Ham United and Birmingham City.

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Cup wishlist: Man United, Man City out. Arsenal or Reading’s trophy

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Bob Stokoe statue, Stadium of Light, SunderlandImage: Mrs Logic

Salut! Sunderland has absolutely nothing against the city of Manchester. We hold no grudges against Stoke or Bolton.

But choices have to be made. Sunderland’s humiliating exit at the earliest possible stage of the FA Cup means we have been able to pick our runners at will in subsequent rounds.

So to do our bit to restore interest in the ailing old competition, colours will now be nailed to the FA Cup mast.

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