Papy Djilobdji

One Papy too many: adieu Monsieur Djilobodji

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Papy before his grandfatherly fall from fitness…

Charlatan or downtrodden victim: what, asks Monsieur Salut, are we to make of Papy Djilobodji, effectively sacked today by SAFC?

As a supporter of Sunderland AFC for more than half a century, I have reacted to a stream of under-performing players with a weary sense of resignation, blaming the club for acquiring them more than the players for being so useless. Provided, that is, that the player/s in question at least tried as best they could to justify inclusion in the squad.

If a player is not only way below par but also demonstrates an attitude betraying greed, unprofessionalism and stupidity, my finger of blame starts to pop in the other direction.

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Sunderland and the transfer window. How did we do?

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Jake: ‘is this a promotion strategy or avoidance of relegation?’


As I write, with a few hours to go, the transfer window has been a damp squib for Sunderland.

Maybe we’ll get Ross McCormack from Aston Villa. Maybe we won’t. Maybe there’ll be other signings, the timing smacking of desperation, the likely cost making us look a little League Two-ish.

Papy Djilobodji is confirmed as Dijon-bound on loan. Wahbi Khazri may end up leaving, too, also for a team, Rennes, that will be scrapping in or around the French Ligue 1 relegation zone. So much the better. If Kone goes too, I’ll shed few tears.

But again as I write, I don’t know who is going, other than the fairly useless Papy, and who may be coming.

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Moyes on the Boys: it’s going to take time

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Jake flags our new columnist
Jake flags our new columnist

John McCormick writes. Pete’s sevens were pessimistic but I thought we did OK in the second half and will be fine once we sort out our defence, midfield and attack.

What does our manager think, however? Well, to let you know, here’s a look at the letter he sent to M Salut, and maybe one or two others, immediately after the game:

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