Manchester United

Soapbox: our drab part in Man United and Man City’s dramatic finale

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Jake's last of season before the Soapbox is dismantled

It seems somehow fitting that the Radio Newcastle commentary team, Nick Barnes and Gary Bennett, whose excellent work costs fans money to hear if they’re away from the North East and listen via the SAFC website, had to keep track of events at the Etihad via the reaction of the two sets of supporters at the Stadium of Light. Have the BBC’s cuts bitten that deep? Pete Sixsmith’s masterly summary of the match itself, and what little part Sunderland actually played in it, ought to be read aloud by Messrs Short and O’Neill to the few players they may wish to keep after another fairly hopeless performances confirmed the lacklustre, relegation-form end to the season …

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Martin’s Musings on keeping to script against Manchester United: time for reflection

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Last game of the season so Martin O’Neill’s last post-match e-mail to Salut! Sunderland (and a few others). As I awaited its arrival, I thought about what I’d like to find in it: relief that the season’s over, unbridled optimism for the next one, a hint of contrition? Would we have settled for 13th top when Steve Bruce left us in something closely resembling a shambles last November? Maybe. But the MON-inspired revival raised hopes, admittedly too high given what he inherited and had to make do with, and it is difficult for this Sunderland fan – who, incidentally, feels a little sympathy for the United fans, though this rare experience of failure may prove character building – to escape the flattest of feelings tonight. Then the e-mail dropped and this is what the boss had to say …

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Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 0 Manchester United 1. Empty and untitled

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Jake.'s finale

The flat end of season many of us feared, while outwardly hoping for something special, seemed assured when Wayne Rooney put Manchester United ahead and the only first-half chance for Sunderland was squandered. Would the second half bring that special ingredient, especially with United players knowing Man City were ahead?

Well it got better for us – we pushed forward a little and not only avoided a demoralisingly heavy defeat but might even have snatched an equaliser. And it got initially an awful lot better for United as City contrived to forfeit their lead against 10 men, but then excruciatingly worse as City came back to snatch the title out of their hands. Not the final flourish we craved, nor the humiliation too many of us thought possible after a dismal run. And heartbreak for the winners.

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Sixer’s Sentiments: romance versus reality as FA Vase final given a miss

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Sixer - and all other images - by Jake

Pete Sixsmith has cast the fnal votes in judging for the 2012 ‘Who are You?’ awards and it can be revealed that they have made all the difference. That, however, is for later; this is his last preview of a Sunderland match this season and it takes in another important game, West Auckland Town versus Dunston UTS at a location Pete decided was only the next best thing to the SoL on Sunday …

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Sunderland v Manchester United ‘Who are You?’: the relativity of failure

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Jake asks the question for the last time this season

Wouldn’t it be great to think of second top, with the trophy cabinet already overflowing, as gross underachievement? That’s the lot of the Manchester United fan going into the final game and with only the most slender chance of finishing top. John Lichfield, a veteran United supporter and giant of proper journalism, takes the philosophical view. He’d probably agree with Salut! Sunderland that more important than the result is that Old Time SAFC, the Sunderland supporter who fears terminal illness will make it his last game, is made to feel special …

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