Premier League - SAFC Blog

West Brom, Watford safe. Palace, Bournemouth, Burnley relaxing, ‘Boro, Hull, Swansea sweating. Sunderland propping them up.

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 by Colin Randall

John McCormick: We're not bottom, so is it a Happy Christmas? — *John McCormick*

Another empty weekend unless you’re a groundhopper like Sixer or a local league fan like Malcolm, which means it’s time for a relegation review. With six games to go in a compressed framework and a holiday coming up this is probably the last one I’ll be able to fit in.

It has been a long and tedious season (as have been the last four apart from that trip to Wembley, only three years ago although it seems like a lifetime, those six wins in a row, a sequence of wins against Citeh and wins at places like Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge *[see below]) and while some of our chosen teams have reached safety we haven’t and are still awaiting a conclusion.

And according to my calculations, as if you needed them, that conclusion isn’t good for us.

Kate Bush says ‘Don’t give up’, and so does Wrinkly Pete

April 18, 2017April 17, 2017 by Colin Randall

John McCormick writes: So you think it’s bad, do you?

In this post Wrinkly Pete opens with a reminder of a time when the mortgage interest rate was just about dropping into single figures after peaking at 15%+, Sunderland were struggling in the bottom half of the second division and averaging gates of under 20,000, and down here in Liverpool the militant tendency were about to send my redundancy notice out via taxi.

Then he jumps forward almost thirty years to bring a simple message to all our readers.

Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 2-2 West Ham. Welcome fight too little, too late

April 15, 2017 by Colin Randall

Jake: ‘the game’s up but at least Khazri’s “Killer Korner” raised smiles

Monsieur Salut writes: awful defending cost Sunderland the goals that made the start of each half so disappointing but at long last, effort was matched by an ability to score. Wahbi Khazri added pressure on David Moyes to explain rationally why he has been used so little with his astonishing curler directly for a corner and Fabio Borini grabbed the second equaliser after Victor Anichebe caused problems in the West Ham penalty area. Ndong had early missed a sitter and, of course, even a win would not have been enough, but at least we say plenty of fight and Pete Sixsmith is right in his seven-word verdict in thinking we might well have taken all three points …

From a SAFC fan staying away until Moyes goes: ‘so much wrong’

April 14, 2017April 14, 2017 by Colin Randall

Paul Summerside: ‘me on matchdays until Moyes goes’

Monsieur Salut writes: as his pals and mine on Facebook speculate about a dream managerial pairing of Roy Keane and John O’Shea to restore Sunderland’s fortunes, Paul Summerside – an occasional contributor throughout the season – offers what he says will be his ‘Final View from the Avenue’. Paul feels David Moyes has brought nothing to Sunderland AFC and says he will not attend a match as long as remains in charge. I understand the anger and share it; I find Moyes difficult to warm to but I also cannot believe a good manager at Everton can suddenly, after poor experiences in Manchester and Spain, turn into a bad one at Sunderland. But here’s Paul view …

West Ham Who are You?: Payet, Big Sam and Defoe as benchwarmer

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017 by Colin Randall

Pete May with a former Hammers star Clyde Best

Only seven to go before ‘Who are You?’ researchers have to start turning their attentions to fans of Burton, Barnsley and Brentford. Pete May* is our West Ham guest, a highly respected author of books about the Hammers but also Sunday league football, the ‘joys of Essex’ and Dr Who. He senses Jermain may be due for a return to West Ham but that, unlike at Sunderland, he won’t be an automatic choice for the starting line-up. Read on for Pete’s interesting take on all things Hammers plus a cheeky offer to buy fellow supporter Keira Knightley a pre-match drink …

Sunderland vs West Ham Guess the Score: needing to play for pride

April 13, 2017April 12, 2017 by Colin Randall

Monsieur Salut introduces another prize edition of Guess the Score as Sunderland face West Ham and the world asks whether they can actually score …

Our latest defeats brought – sorry, will bring once I get round to it – prizes for Eric Bowers and Chris Boyle, both past winners.

Chris will receive a mini-edition of the Nick Barnes Matchbook, which means the publishes will pay £5 into the Bradley Lowery fund while Eric has chosen a Salut! Sunderland mug, the fiver for the same cause therefore to be paid by us.

Wrinkly Pete’s Crystal Ball: it may be causing hallucinations

April 12, 2017April 11, 2017 by Colin Randall

Peter Lynn, also known as Wrinkly Pete, has an an imaginary crystal ball that enables him to predict the outcome of each game and check how it affects his once-firm belief that Sunderland would survive on 37 points. That tally is now pretty much impossible but Pete still sees us finishing on 35. Probably not enough and there’s also a health warning: some of those predictions look a little optimistic – as well as pre-supposing that Hull and Swansea take no more than five and seven points respectively from their remaining games…

David Moyes: serial boor or living up to the football manager caricature?

April 11, 2017 by Colin Randall

More than 45 years ago, a gas explosion in David Moyes’s native Scotland – Clarkston, East Renfrewshire to be precise – killed 22 people. It was a terrible event but one, happily rare occurrence ensured that every gas leak or minor explosion for weeks, anywhere in the UK, was reported as if part of a trend.

Much the same happened, in the 1980s if I remember correctly, after a child was killed by vicious dog masquerading as family pet. However minor subsequent incidents involving dog attacks, the sort that happen all the time, they were described as a “spate”. I have spent almost all my working life in journalism but this was not the media – print or broadcast – at its finest.

Sixer, spotting flying pigs, presents five ways Sunderland can avoid relegation

April 10, 2017 by Colin Randall

Sixer: ‘summertime’s approaching. What more could any Sunderland fan wish for? ‘

Pete Sixsmith was as stern with Sunderland after the 3-0 drubbing at the hands and feet of Manchester United as the fiercest of his masters at King James I grammar. But does he see light at the end of this bleakest of tunnels? He does, but then again does he? …

Here, I put forward five ways in which we can bring off Great Escape V. Only one of them is impossible. Which one do you think it is?

Sixer’s Manchester United Soapbox: tumbling from the Premier League without a whimper

April 10, 2017April 10, 2017 by Colin Randall

Poor old Pete Sixsmith can barely remember what it is like to write about an encouraging losing performance by Sunderland, let alone any kind of winning one. With a little help from Craig Pawson, Manchester United strolled to victory. And Sixer saw nothing, beyond Jordan Pickford’s accomplished goalkeeping and some sparks of effort and drive from Ndong and Cattermole, to persuade him we will even reach 25 points …

Another match, another dismal defeat with no goals, no excitement and no hope for the future. Throw in an awful decision by a referee who appeared to favour the visitors throughout the game and it is well nigh impossible to drag any positives out of this.