Stephen Goldsmith examines the squad at Martin O’Niell’s disposal and assesses tactics, strengths and weaknesses …
Goldy’s Logic: how Cattermole, Colback, Gardner can prove themselves indispensable for Sunderland
Nicklas Bendtner
Salut!’s Week: Newcastle build-up, SAFC’s international parade and Jake’s genius
On Facebook yesterday, I wrote: “Forget the hysteria of Leveson and the Scotland Yard ‘burglars/muggers/killers’ delight’ investigation of reporters having pints or lunch with coppers. The Tyne-Wear derby, Newcastle v Sunderland, is on Sunday at noon. Elegant, witty, informative and impeccably fair tribalism is to be found at https://safc.blog/
Pizza for nothing and your chicks for free (2): the Bendtner apology
Here is the statement released by a very contrite sounding Nicklas Bendtner. He’s obviously been reading Birflatt Boy’s headmasterly strictures.
Three players, not two, involved in the Newcastle car vandalism allegations? Martin O’Neill has more work to do than any of us imagined.
Salut! Week: from Dylan and Middlesbrough to hope eternal
Click here: £9.50, post-free for UK buyers, from the Salut! Sunderland Shop
Another Saturday morning review of the week as seen by Salut! Sunderland …
Martin O’Neill’s dramatic last-gasp win in his first game as manager set us up for a great week for banter and upbeat thought.
Whatever happens at Spurs tomorrow afternoon – and no pundit is likely to give us a hope – we have seen reason to believe better times may lie ahead.
A tale of three Larrsons, lots of tattoos and Bendtner’s hard-won pizza
Time for one of Salut! Sunderland’s occasional looks abroad. Not French Fancies but Scandinavian Stars …
Salut! Sunderland has taken a while to get round to making up with Seb Larsson.
We’ll do it now but delay an olive branch in the direction of our other Scandinavian first team man, Nicklas Bendtner, until he 1) explains the pizza house shocker or 2) takes a leaf from Seb’s book and scores some winning goals.
Salut!’s week: eaten by Wolves, impressed by O’Neill, hailing Ryan Noble
Salut! Sunderland present a quick digest of the week’s action, from another gloomy matchday to the bright hope that young Ryan Noble represents for our future …
Martin O’Neill (caricature courtesy of Kartun Malaysia) probably guessed what was likely to happen at Molineux – a nervy lead, soon allowed to evaporate – and chose to be nowhere near the dugout.
Bendtner and Gary Speed: no case to answer
Salut! Sunderland hopes that when Martin O’Neill presides over his first press conference as Sunderland’s manager this afternoon, he is not drawn into pointless discussion of Nicklas Bendtner’s supposedly disrespectful body language during the pre-match tribute to Gary Speed at Molineux.
With carefully manufactured outrage, the website 101greatgoals.com declares that the on-loan forward was seen “smirking and shrugging as the cameras went past all the players”.
Soapbox: Crouch, Wenger and other transfer deadline duds
It’s all over until January and, says Pete Sixsmith, thanks heavens for that. But first he takes a measured look at the idiocies, bargains and eyebrow-raising gambles of transfer deadline day …
See also: Velkommen to Sunderland, Nicklas Bendtner – whatever Abbey Clancy thinks of it
So, the Belarus programme seller decided to forego St Mirren and remain at Dinamo Minsk, the Costa Rican being pursued by Alan Pardew opted for Thameside rather than Tyneside and Peter Crouch overtook Jan Koller as the player most-linked-with but never–signed-by Sunderland.
Instead, we got the usual SSN hysteria package, which apparently included genial grey haired Scots anchor (feel free to insert w in front) Jim White arriving at Sky Sports studios to host the last segment of their exhaustive and exhausting coverage.