Premier League - SAFC Blog

The things we do for love: you tell Salut! Sunderland

November 12, 2016November 10, 2016 by Colin Randall

To enter our competition and have a chance of winning the above print, please note this post has been superseded. …

Wrinkly Pete tells boo boys: ‘you don’t know what you’re doing; please stop’

November 9, 2016November 9, 2016 by Colin Randall

Peter Lynn: a hearty boo for the boo boys

Stop Press Update: there’s a lively debate at Ready to Go’s Pure Football forum after someone posted a link to Wrinkly Pete’s piece – http://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/sault-taking-a-pop-at-the-fans.1295474/

Here’s something to take minds off wretched news from Out West. The e-mail from Peter Lynn – Wrinkly Pete to us – read: ‘I don’t always agree with Malcolm Dawson but his comments in the thread on one of the Bournemouth game articles struck a chord and prompted me to get this off my chest.’ He’s thinking of the new aggression detected from a section of our generally magnificent support towards our own players. We’ve all witnessed it and, while it should not be exaggerated, it is an issue worth discussing …

Pickford and Kone: must-keeps or let-goes to Everton, West Ham, elsewhere?

November 10, 2016November 8, 2016 by Colin Randall

Kone: yet again the subject of transfer talk

Monsieur Salut says: the international break makes me twitchy. No serious interest in the football, lots of time to worry about Sunderland. So let’s have a poll …

Are we, then, resigned to Jordan Pickford becoming another Jordan Henderson, red-and-white through and through but grasping, understandably, at opportunities higher up the footballing ladder than where Sunderland find themselves placed?

Do we reluctantly accept that pressure from Everton, or West Ham or someone else with pots of money to spend and heads to turn, will lure away Lamine Kone in January?

And could we live with one or both departing provided – are you listening, Mr Short? – adequate replacements are secured before anyone is let out of the door? So not just Vito Mannone fit again – though that matters, too – but people coming in, and coming in as a pre-condition of anyone else’s departure.

The only whinge from Bournemouth 1-2 SAFC: don’t drive Lamine Kone away

November 7, 2016 by Colin Randall

On Saturday, as remarked upon by everyone including Bournemouth fans, Sunderland’s support was magnificent.

I came across one little Cherries snipe about the one-minute silence being interrupted at our end and even that was simply wrong. The noise wasn’t much and came entirely from the concourse, where no referee’s whistle signalling a tribute was about to begin could have been heard and no one can have had any idea what was happening on the pitch. And even then, people near me went “shhhh …” as if the innocently noisy could hear.

But I do have one whinge …

Bournemouth banter: (2) just one win but already part of Sunderland folklore

November 9, 2016November 7, 2016 by Colin Randall

Rob’s daughter Olivia would have loved this souvenir, but had to make do with dad taking a photo of another girl’s prize acquisition

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Bournemouth away was an occasion to remind supporters of Sunderland AFC, from nippers to long-in-the-tooth codgers, why they care so much about football. And this lovely piece from Rob Hutchison, the perfect complement to an excellent Chapman Report, captures our part of a special day …

“Which is the away end mate?” asked Colin, aka Monsieur Salut, as we approached the stadium. “Follow the voices”, the young friendly steward replied “They sound nothing like us!”.

We’d just been putting the world to rights in the Sir Percy Florence boozer with a few hundred other Mackems who had started drinking when the coaches left at 6am by the sound of the place.

Bournemouth banter: (1) even the home fans acclaimed Jordan Pickford

November 15, 2016November 7, 2016 by Colin Randall

Robert Chapman: 'can we keep doing that?' — Robert Chapman: ‘can we keep doing that?’

Monsieur Salut writes: in the absence of Sixer, almost recovered from surgery but giving this long trip a miss, Robert Chapman was given the Soapbox-ish commission as we stood waiting outside the Sir Percy Florence pub in Bournemouth, which was operating a one-in-one-out entry policy. Maybe wiser counsel should prevail: one win in 11 is not exactly top six form. But hey, it was our one win in 11 and the fabulous support was for once rewarded, so this is the first of two special reports from the south coast

The Observer’s Alan Smith was good player, is good company (I sat beside him the press box for an England game at Europe 2000 and once saw Niall Quinn’s face light up on meeting him at the SoL) and a good analyst. But he was hopelessly wrong to say Sunderland were ‘second best in every facet of the game’. Unless that is, superb goalkeeping, backs-to-the-wall resistance when a player short and robust hold-up play are not facets of the game. Yes, Bournemouth had possession and chances galore and looked smarter on the ball for most of the game, but we were well on top in the second half until Pienaar’s dismissal and had been a match for the home side for what remained of the first half after Anichebe’s equaliser.

Now over to Bob …

Moyes on the Boys: praise for players but this one’s for the fans

November 5, 2016 by Dean Cruddace

Malcolm Dawson writes…..it’s a long way from Wearside to Bournemouth and those that made the journey for once did not …

Hutch’s Patch. Arise Sir Victor: Bournemouth reveals a new colossus

November 5, 2016 by Colin Randall

Rob Hutchison: life suddenly feels better

Monsieur Salut writes: it was a pleasure seeing Rob Hutchison, purveyor of one-word wisdom, in the away-friendly Sir Percy Florence Wetherspoons – and his charming daughter Olivia – before the game. Olivia, 18, has seen every away game so far so deserved the victory we secured. She sent dad’s one-word ratings as he shouted out his verdicts while driving home. ‘Well that was emotional,’ he told her to add, ‘about time we got a break’. Like everyone in the away end, Rob was taken with the mighty performance of Victor Anichebe …

Wise Man Says: the buck stops with Ellis Short

November 4, 2016November 4, 2016 by Colin Randall

It’s a bit like ‘kindly’ but cane/slipper-wielding schoolmaster or parent of days gone by: ‘this is going to hurt me far more than it will hurt you.’ Sometimes, Salut! Sunderland feels obliged to publish items that raise serious and perhaps harsh criticism of the club or individuals within it. Our pages are ALWAYS open to reply from anyone feeling aggrieved at what appears here but we need to exercise care in the first place.

Nic Wiseman is a solid, long-established, thinking member of the SAFC-supporting family. He helped to create the excellent but short-lived fanzine It’s The Hope I Can’t Stand!. Though also critical, Monsieur Salut thinks Ellis Short may be more sinned against than sinning – money has been made available to managers and incompetently spent; it’s enough to make any boss bad-tempered – but Nic is fully entitled to take a sterner view. Here it is …

Bournemouth Who are You?: ‘doomed SAFC, know-nothing Lord Sugar, Cherries delight’

November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 by Colin Randall

Tom Latchem with Howe — Tom Latchem with manager Eddie Howe after the 2013 promotion to the Championship

Monsieur Salut writes: by the time we’d counted to three the Bournemouth fans we might approach for this week’s Who are You?, and then added ones we interviewed last season, we probably had the entire home support covered.

But what the Cherries lack in numbers, their team makes up for with football that sometimes ‘sparkles’ and produces results, according to Tom Latchem*, presenter of talkSPORT’s Extra Time, our man in the hot seat. Tom describes himself at Twitter as a ‘journo, republican, electoral reformist and old school raver’ and sounds a bloke you’d enjoy a pint with. A long read that I thoroughly enjoyed …