It appears the manager’s personal e-mails to M. Salut are getting shorter as the weeks go by, but fair play to him he continues to send them. As ever he finds the positives from a game where the outcome was anything but.
News, with great conscientiousness, from afar. It’s over, to adapt the relatively recent colloquialism, once the fat lady has sung.
Monsieur Salut, even at the safe distance of the Tozeur oasis in south-western Tunisia, knows better than to accuse Salut! Sunderland‘s star writer of resembling a fat lady. But Sixer has most definitely sung on the issue of O’Neill One Year On so the series cannot be reopened for anyone, least of all someone who does not even support our club. Even so – as Jeremy Robson has noted at Football Analysis*, the site of a South African supporter of Chelsea, Grant James – this is a superb assessment. It therefore merits a slot and a plug …
In the final part of Salut! Sunderland‘s mini series looking back at Martin O’Neill’s first year at the Stadium of Light (read the first four via the home page) Pete Sixsmith recalls Decembers of the past, one when the Lads put in a performance to remember, helped in no small part by an unsung Frenchman, another when a feisty Irishman called it a day and finally one which saw the arrival of another saviour, this time from the northern part of the Emerald Isle.
Sixer gives his thoughts on yer man’s first 12 months …
For our penultimate look back at Martin O’Neill’s first year in charge (Pete Sixsmith‘s view will appear later today) we are pleased to welcome another contributor making his Salut! Sunderland debut. Richard Purdham is a 22 year old from Durham who after experiencing the thrills of the post Steve Bruce turnaround admits to a feeling of anti climax in subsequent months. However, he still thinks that MON is the man for the job. Over to Richard….
In the third of our series looking back at Martin O’Neill’s first term in office, (visit the home page salutsunderland.com to see the first two) we welcome a new contributor, Gareth Barker who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and of Christmas yet to come. Pete Sixsmith will, in his own inimitable style, round off our offerings later today but before that let Gareth explain why Martin O’Neill may just be the gift we always wanted.
In the second of Salut! Sunderland‘s look back at Martin O’Neill’s first year in charge – visit the home page salutsunderland.com to see the first – Jeremy Robson wonders whether our manager will still be at the helm 12 months from now. He has his doubts…
Martin O’Neill has been in charge for twelve months now and Salut! Sunderland contributors have their own thoughts on the success or otherwise of the Ulsterman’s time at the helm. Malcolm Dawson looks at what is going wrong, argues that a rethink is necessary and weighs up the O’Neill In/Out arguments …
Chelsea have problems galore of their own. But it is interesting to hear what they make of ours. Salut! Sunderland …
What’s to be said? Another defeat leaves us in desperate trouble unless – how often do we say that? – Chelsea and Reading at home produce 4-6 points. Martin O’Neill is paid to put the best gloss he can on the same old undercoating …
Stephen Goldsmith writes: I refuse to get too carried away with all the doom and gloom just yet – as tempting as that may be! You certainly won’t be hearing me shout for a change in management amid all this poor show of form. The national media are particularly mystified as to why the Sunderland fans are keeping their patience with O’Neill, in an almost identical manner in which they were mystified as to why we wanted their pal Bruce out last season. Double standards springs to mind. The crux of it all is that last season’s mini-revival highlights the amazing impact that O’Neill had when he came here. Who can argue that the Ulsterman’s arrival resulted in a below average squad performing above themselves? They have now plateaued and it isn’t pretty. Had Bruce still been here we would be playing Championship football, a fact which nobody should doubt.