SAFC

The Kenwyne debate: a critic speaks

by

jeremy

For Pete Sixsmith, any remaining question marks concerning Kenwyne Jones’s commitment, ability and contribution were removed on Sunday afternoon, not when Darren Bent handed him the second penalty – to Steve Bruce’s subsequent fury – but when he cut across to put us back in front with the sweetest of strikes. Jeremy Robson has been one of Kenwyne’s fiercest critics. Did Sunday bring about a damascene conversion? Jeremy explains why he stills wants more …

Did the real Kenwyne Jones stand up against Wolves, Salut! Sunderland asked?

If ever there was a loaded question along the lines “Have you stopped beating your grandmother yet?”, this was it. Undeterred, I will get back to the question, and unlike politicians who might meander around the subject for so long that the question becomes lost in the mix, I will give a concise answer. Did KJ stand up. Well, he certainly got off his stool.

Read more

Soapbox: keeping the Wolves from the door

by

soapbox6

Debate? What debate? Pete Sixsmith watches Sunderland score five without quite performing as if about to storm into the top four. But one thing that did please him (apart from reaching a points tally that leave us just 28 short of safety) was goal number three. It prompted Pete to give short shrift to doubts about Kenwyne Jones …


The great Kenwyne Jones debate was surely shelved at 5.35 when he moved across the front of the goal, left two defenders for dead and whipped a 20 yard shot past the Wolves keeper. It put us 3-2 up, and as Mick McCarthy’s men s legs were beginning to wobble, set up what looks, on paper, like a comfortable 5-2 win.

Read more

Did the real Kenwyne stand up today?

by

kenwyne-charicature

Salut! Sunderland is looking this week at Kenwyne Jones, whose performances seem to have the power to divide Sunderland fans between unwavering admirers and serious detractors. Will today’s two goals, in the 5-2 home win against Wolves, settle the argument? Don’t bet on it, says Colin Randall …

Take a look at the Premier top scorers’ list tonight and you’ll see that Sunderland have two strikers riding high: Darren Bent on six, assuming the decisive deflection rules out his claims to a second goal today, Kenwyne Jones on four.

That’s a healthy showing. But Kenwyne has still not won his way back (after last season’s decline in form) into the hearts of all fans and, if paper talk has any basis in reality, has – or, maybe after his two goals today, had – some convincing to do for Steve Bruce.

Read more

The celebs who support Sunderland: A-list or Z-list?

by

tasmin


Colin Randall has only himself to blame for being lumbered with a search for celeb supporters of Sunderland. He accepted the task cheerfully. He should have known better, having previously done a Famous on the Fulwell piece for A Love Supreme. But he persevered …

It was probably the most crushing condemnation of all the work we put into making Salut! Sunderland a half-decent site.

In one of those periodic threads at Ready to Go about celeb supporters of Sunderland, I yet again pointed out that the most comprehensive and reliable list, with interviews, had appeared here. And someone came back like a rocket to say he hadn’t even heard of half my candidates.

Read more

Who are you? We’re Wolves (2)

by

3jody


If Andy Nicholls played the long ball, with a few elegant runs here and there, our second Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter, Garry Dingley*, found via the Wolves-Mad fan site, prefers it short and sweet. And he grows in confidence as he goes on: an unknown third slot for relegation is filled, a few questions later, by Stoke City. Read on to see who else he reckons will go down, and who he thinks will win on Sunday. Salut! Sunderland thanks all Wolves fans for their interest – plus Jody Craddock for permission to showcase his art …

Salut! Sunderland: A lot of our fans wondered how Mick McCarthy might have done with the money available to Keane and Bruce. Has he had enough at Wolves and has he spent it wisely?

I think he could of done with a little bit more so we could get one or two players in with Premier experience. He does seem to rely on players who have played for him before thought.

On that note, Greg Halford seems to be picking up a lot of five out of tens in newspaper player ratings. He was a great disappointment at our place. Still not up to it? What about other signings from Sunderland eg Neil Collins and Jody Craddock?

Halford as been moved to full back now and as played well there. I never liked Collins but Jody isn’t a bad player at all now.

Read more

Who are you? We’re Wolves (1)

by

1jody

If no one minds, this week’s Who are you? feature, ahead of SAFC v Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, is an in memoriam edition. It honours David Graves, a Wolves-supporting colleague and great friend who died in a diving accident seven years ago, and Jake, the baby taken by cot death syndrome a year later from Jody Craddock, a centre back who has been a model of commitment and professionalism at both Sunderland and Wolves. Fittingly, the game is previewed – in the first of two Black Country contributions – by Andy Nicholls*, another Wolves man with a Mackem connection …

Briefly, David was a reporter I had known since our days together at the Press Association. He was extremely good at his job but also a committed family man. He, his wife Diana and their two boys deserved better than that he should die while diving in the Bahamas. He would have been my first choice to answer questions prior to a Wolves v Sunderland encounter.

Equally briefly, Jody – coincidentally a big fan of Bahamas holidays – was still a mainstay of our defence when he and his wife Shelley, lost Jake at just five months. Jody, a gifted art student when at school, returned to canvas to work through his grief. His work – which can be seen and bought at his own site – illustrates (with Jody’s consent) this series of excellent responses from Andy Nicholls, from the top Wolves fan site Molineux Mix. Our thoughts are with both families.


And here are the questions …

Read more

Soapbox: nearly a perfect day

by

soapbox4


A cruise through to the next round of the Carling Cup, a toaster that works, a working day that brings hope: Pete Sixsmith sees us dismiss Brum with a minimum of fuss and reflects on the bright side of life ..

Once in a while you get one of those days where everything runs perfectly.

Early morning, the toast browns perfectly, the shower temperature is just right and the paper girl delivers early.

At work, everything runs smoothly. In my job, the students are well behaved, they learn how to do new things and remember what they were taught last week. Your colleagues smile at you in the corridors, the sun shines and the coffee you have made is as close to perfection as you will get.

At home, there is a surprise cheque in the post, the library book you put your name down for weeks ago has arrived and there are old friends contacting you via Facebook. With a Lou Reed track playing in the back ground, it really is A Perfect Day.

And then you remember we have a Carling Cup Tie against Birmingham City!!!

Read more