Martin O'Neill - SAFC Blog

Martin’s Musings on Man City: better side is singing the blues

April 1, 2012March 31, 2012 by Colin Randall

After Tuesday’s disappointment, today’s response against a side that hadn’t dropped a home point all season, has Martin O’Neill singing the praises of his team. Whilst ultimately this may be viewed as two points dropped, rather than one won, once again we have seen the manager’s ability to use the available players to achieve a positive result. To the rest of the world who expected the lads in red and white to be on the wrong end of a battering today, the manager’s words reflect his aspirations and send out a message to the rest of the Premier League.

Soapbox on Everton: crash, bang, wallop go Sunderland’s hopes

March 28, 2012 by Colin Randall

soapbox(REPLAY) — Jake and Sixer share the misery

For anyone who needs to know what went wrong last night, the search ends with this quite superb account by Pete Sixsmith, which Monsieur Salut humbly commends to a certain Mr O’Neill, of how Everton were able to make such light work of Sunderland and end, in disheartening style, our Wembley hopes …

Martin’s Musings on a comprehensive defeat: ‘Everton made us second best’

March 28, 2012March 28, 2012 by Colin Randall

No excuses, no complaints. Martin O’Neill tells it straight: we got what we deserved from this game and so did Everton. If the nature of the defeat has left Sunderland fans feeling flat with only might-have-beens to dwell on, MON sees eight remaining league games as a chance to make his first season with us matter …

Martin’s Musings from Blackburn: from high intensity to weary underachievement

March 21, 2012 by Colin Randall

postcard copy3 — Jake imagines the snailmail version

Martin O’Neill could have said we were unlucky, he could have said we were tired after Goodison without making adding the obvious qualification that this is not really an excuse. He did not; the post-match e-mail – and sorry, Martin, there was no appetite to wait up for it last night – accepts we were beaten because we played, for the most part, badly …

Martin’s Musings: keeping the dream alive

March 18, 2012March 17, 2012 by Colin Randall

With the dream of a visit or two to Wembley still alive, Martin O’Neill has special words of praise for 5,800 travelling fans and one Belgian keeper in his latest post match e-mail …

Salut!’s Sunderland’s Week: offering hands of friendship to Everton, Liverpool and Leeds

March 18, 2012March 16, 2012 by Colin Randall

Phil Bardsley3 — Hamish McBardsley by Jake

The business part of the weekend starts so early – 1245 kickoff at Goodison – that it makes sense for Salut!’s review of the past six or seven days to appear today.

Ellis Short’s targets: well within top 10, respect from ‘big boys’

March 15, 2012March 14, 2012 by Colin Randall

supermon copy(1) — Ellis's man: Supermon, by Jake

Back in May 2009, looking back on an alarmingly close brush with relegation, in the season Roy Keane’s tempestuous reign ended and Ricky Sbragia managed to keep us up without ever seeming manager material, Ellis Short gave the Sunderland owner’s view in an interview for the club site.

Gabriele Marcotti brings us Martin O’Neill, man of justice

March 13, 2012March 12, 2012 by Colin Randall

martin-oneil-209x300(e) — With thanks to Jake for adapting Kartun Malaysia's caricature*

Salut! Sunderland is relieved to hear criminal damage charges will not be pressed against Nicklas Bendtner; we hope Lee Cattermole can now prove his innocence. Further comment is probably inappropriate so let us instead enjoy some thoughts from an expert source on our manager’s own (wholly blameless) brushes with the law …

Martin’s Musings: beating Liverpool with strength, entertainment and battling commitment

March 13, 2012March 10, 2012 by Colin Randall

Martin O’Neill had every reason to be proud again today as Sunderland went eighth with what will be remembered as a tremendous team performance to beat Liverpool. In his post-match e-mail, Martin expresses delight for Fraizer Campbell and Nicklas Bendtner, whose joint assault on goal produced the winner …

A treat for Newcastle’s Pardew: gannin’ along the scot-free road

March 8, 2012 by Colin Randall

So both Newcastle United and Sunderland face FA disciplinary charges over the tempestuous Tyne-Wear derby. It was the sort of announcement that ought to have had the United manager Alan Pardew quaking in his boots about the likely nature of action against him personally.