It’s been a few years since I’ve done a timely review of Deloitte’s “Money League”, which usually comes out in January or February (it was January this year).
But when there’s a battle to be fought there’s not much room, time or inclination to give some thought to a little piece of meaningless self-publicity, which is what the Deloitte Money League is, entertaining though it may be.
I’m getting a bit tired of the title (and Monsieur Salut should apologise to any reader lured here by thoughts it was a poll on religion; the word inexplicably replaced relegation in the headline when published and still appeared some time later at the newsnow.co.uk site) .
But just because we have some decent players, led by one of the Premier League’s most experienced managers and backed by a tremendous crowd, we can’t assume we’re safe.
Our record is not good. We’ve been one of the survivors for too many seasons and we can’t take anything for granted. Even now there will be some fans somewhere rubbing their hands as they look at the fixtures and thinking ‘Sunderland, that’s an easy three points’.
Pete Lynn, AKA Wrinkly Pete, has just popped us an e-mail. Brief and to the point, with a title that might be inspired bysomeone else’s season going down the pan, here it is in its entirity:
The Under 21s have done significantly better in their league than the senior Lads have in theirs. Pete Sixsmith, has …
Malcolm Dawson writes……..Pete Sixsmith’s report of events on the south coast is a little later than usual because of late …
Malcolm Dawson writes……as if to prove the point I made after the Palace game on Tuesday Southampton’s last gasp equaliser …
Pete Sixsmith doesn’t yet know the full detail of the fevered response from the Potteries to his tongue-in-cheek “I love Stoke City” piece. He’s been too busy enjoying a trip to the south coast and points west. His early spring break came agonisingly close to achieving perfection, Jermain Defoe’s goal seeming enough to secure three precious points only for the best move of the game to produce an equaliser deep into stoppage time, even after Big Sam tried to bolster the defence by sending on John O’Shea for the last few minutes. Come back for Sixer’s longer account of the match, which will land as soon as his travels allow …
Tom Williams* answered the call at Twitter for a Saints fan to do the honours ahead of Saturday’s match. We …
We know we had to win against Crystal Palace and didn’t. We know we needed at least a point at West Ham and threw all three away.
Now even Big Sam’s meagre target of four from three games depends on a frankly improbable win at St Mary’s.
Sunderland face of a whirlwind of games that will play a key part in deciding which division we play in come August.
It may not even be an exaggeration to suggest the season could well depend on the outcome of the visits to West Ham and Southampton, this Saturday and next, with Palace at home on Tuesday night.