Manchester United - SAFC Blog

Danny Welbeck: a Manchester United treasure we’d love to be ours

June 7, 2011 by Colin Randall

Throughout the past season, Pete Sixsmith contributed appraisals of Danny Welbeck’s progress to a Manchester United site Stretford End Arising*. This, again at the site’s request, is his assessment of Welbeck over the season as a whole …

In the late 1960s, when I was idling my time away in the Sixth Form at Bishop Auckland Grammar School (Stan Laurel had attended in the earlier days of the century), there was a very popular disc by a beat combo known as The Scaffold. Entitled Thank You Very Much, the three chirpy Scousers who made up the group went through a list of things that they wanted to say, er, TYVM for.

As Sunderland supporters, we can say “Thank You Very Much For Danny Welbeck, Particularly For Those Months Either Side Of Christmas When He Was Brilliant” and United fans can say to Sunderland “Thank You Very Much For Looking After Danny Welbeck And Turning Him Into An International Player”. A true mutual admiration society.

Salut!’s week: Arsenal honours, Barca barbs, Liverpool chancers, Sunderland ratings

June 3, 2011 by Colin Randall

As mentioned here last Saturday, there may be no need for weekly digests throughout the close season, when good people ought to be turning their thoughts to holidays, picnics and Durham County Cricket Club (top of the league when last I checked).

But this has been an unusually busy week, more so than many during the football season.

We concluded a great set of end-of-season reviews, eight well-argued verdicts on what it was like to be a Sunderland supporter in 2010-2011.

There were the “Who are You?” awards to dispense – Arsenal the winners – plus musings on North-eastern footballing allegiances, Liverpool’s reported bid to lure Jordan Henderson to Anfield, one last look at the game in France … and the demolition of Manchester United by Barcelona. As always, click on the sub-heading if it makes you want to read more …

Bursting with praise for Barcelona – or just bursting their bubble

June 3, 2011 by Colin Randall

Image: Palm Z

What was the headline, or one of them, on Monday morning? “Beautiful force”. Somewhere else, I saw Barcelona described as the best club football team since time began, or similar. Even our own unflappable Pete Sixsmith rattled off his post-Orwell Homage to Catalonia.

But Pete and those headline writers were hardly alone in being mesmerised by the Barca performance that clinically neutralised Manchester United – not the best United you’ve seen, but Premier champions and all that – to carry off the Champions’ League trophy. You would need to have been a United or Real Madrid supporter of the most blinkered kind not to have seen the gulf between the two sides.

There is, all the same, an alternative viewpoint.

Manchester United v Barcelona Soapbox: my homage to Catalonia

May 29, 2011 by Colin Randall

Mesmerised by the sheer brilliance of Barcelona, who made Manchester United look what they are not (ordinary), Pete Sixsmith calms down long enough to reflect with gratitude and admiration on the Champions’ League final …

Long time readers of my ramblings may remember me drooling over the Spain team that walked away with Euro 2008. My particular favourite was Andrea Iniesta and I though that team was as close to perfection as you would get.

Cancel that statement, because I, and millions of others, have just witnessed a team performance that will be remembered by those who saw it as long as Real Madrid’s demolition of Eintracht Frankfurt has been by those of an earlier generation. The Barcelona side that summarily dismissed Manchester United in the Champions’ League Final is, without a doubt, the finest club side in history.

Salut!’s week: trouncing West Ham, overtaking Newcastle .. Man United v Barcelona

May 28, 2011 by Colin Randall

One week ago, we were worried that our depleted team we might be embarrassed at Upton Park, leaving us a place worse off than this time last season at lowly 14th. The 3-0 win made us eat our words, and very tasty they were too, at the start of a frantic week in which we ran three end-of-season reports, previewed the “Who are You?” awards and intruded on the higher ground of the Champions’ League. If you missed anything or want a reminder, read on …

The unmagical figure of £46 at one point raised the possibility that our final game of the season would be played out in the absence of the magical figure of Pete Sixsmith.

He swallowed his pride, overcame his anger with Sullivan and Gold and forgot pre-retirement impoverishment to opt for the day out anyway. And had a jolly good time. Click here to see his account of a good win which may have been against a thoroughly bad, demoralised side but lifted us to 10th place, two above Newcastle United (though the end-of-season reviews – see below – put that in perpective).

What else did we dream up in the hope of entertaining or stimulating supporters of Sunderland AFC – and the many others who stray in here because, well, because they do?

Manchester United v Barcelona: rooting for ‘worst United side in years’

May 27, 2011 by Colin Randall

Diplomatic relations were established between Salut! Sunderland and Republik of Mancunia a couple of seasons ago. Scott the Red is the republik’s head of state and comes here from time to time to offer his thoughts or ask for ours on SAFC/United-related matters. Who better to preview the Champions’ League Final from a United perspective? And while we’re on, congrats are in order: Scott’s site came second in the EPL Talk blog-of-the-year awards (M Salut prefers to draw a veil over our final position). He’s a bit pessimistic about tomorrow night but loyally predicts a United win all the same …

Manchester United, Barcelona … and Swansea: guess who wants Gyan?’

May 27, 2011 by Colin Randall

Clásico de lujo Image: americanistadechiapas

It was just a cheeky Sunderland-related question slotted into a quick interview with a Barca fan ahead of tomorrow’s 2011 Champions’ League Final. Who among the current SAFC squad would you like to see in the blue and red of Barcelona? The answer came back quick as a Messi shot. Start learning Catalan, Asamoah. Among all the world’s culers – to adopt the mildly rude nickname for Barca fans – we found ours in London, and he’s Welsh. And Neil Watson* is a man in need of a ticket; as a son of Swansea, he has one for the playoff final against Reading on Monday. If you see an optimist wandering around London wearing a banner pleading for help to get him to Wembley tomorrow night too, you may have encountered Salut! Sunderland’s first Champions’ League “Who are You?” candidate …

Later today: Scott the Red from Republik of Mancunia …

Rooney’s rant, Arsenal’s crowding of Dowd: which is worse?

April 5, 2011 by Colin Randall

Wayne Rooney Sky TV pub sign Image: Jontintinjordan

Wayne Rooney is not necessarily the first person you’d think of inviting to tea. Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, may not always say things we can all agree with.

But am I alone in wondering whether Taylor may be right to question the furore over Rooney’s unconventional way of celebrating his hat-trick against West Ham?

Would Danny Welbeck really want to return to Manchester United?

April 2, 2011 by Colin Randall

Periodically, Pete Sixsmith offers the Manchester United fans’ site Stretford End Arising an update on how Danny Welbeck is doing for Sunderland. Perhaps he should aid our chances of getting Danny permanently by always replying that he’s absolute garbage. Here, though, is his latest mid-term report …

So, after a long lay off in Manchester, we got Danny back into action. He came on as a second half sub at Ashburton Grove and almost scored a cracking goal. Had it gone in, Arsene’s face would have been a picture; not only beaten by one of the “little teams”, but through a goal by a Manchester United player. I think he would have ended up like any Spinal Tap drummer and spontaneously combusted.

Danny Welbeck’s cracking goal for the England Under 21s

March 24, 2011 by Colin Randall

One goal apiece for Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson in tonight’s 4-0 thrashing by England Under 21s of Denmark in Viborg. There are clips of both Danny’s excellent strike and Jordan’s impressive individualistic goal and, for as long they last, we have them …

This a treat. We all know how good Danny Welbeck is. His superb display at Chelsea spoke volumes for his talents. His control and shot deserved to clinch an improbable winner at the Emirates. And we’ve seen how well he can perform at Under 21 international level. Prepare to see it again.