Stephen Goldsmith

O’Neill is no longer resuscitating Bruce’s Sunderland: midfield is dead on arrival

by

Stephen Goldsmith writes: I refuse to get too carried away with all the doom and gloom just yet – as tempting as that may be! You certainly won’t be hearing me shout for a change in management amid all this poor show of form. The national media are particularly mystified as to why the Sunderland fans are keeping their patience with O’Neill, in an almost identical manner in which they were mystified as to why we wanted their pal Bruce out last season. Double standards springs to mind. The crux of it all is that last season’s mini-revival highlights the amazing impact that O’Neill had when he came here. Who can argue that the Ulsterman’s arrival resulted in a below average squad performing above themselves? They have now plateaued and it isn’t pretty. Had Bruce still been here we would be playing Championship football, a fact which nobody should doubt.

Read more

Crosstalk: Celtic tell Salut! Sunderland to be patient with Martin O’Neill

by
Jake on the art of communication

Stephen Goldsmith writes: that defeat on Tuesday was hard to take. Not because it was ‘Boro, as I don’t particularly class this fixture as any sort of grudge match. There was a spell – when Bryan Robson was in charge – where it felt like a derby match, but it hadn’t previous to that and it hasn’t since. Not to me anyway.

No, the disappointment was the manner of the defeat. The toothless and uncreative performances in the league this season can be glossed over by the fact that we have lost only once – to the champions – and that our draws aren’t individually bad results. Spread those fixtures out over the season and drawing them seems reasonable. Tuesday night wasn’t good enough, however. Not at all.

Read more

Salut! Reflections: Fletcher for Scotland, Bramble’s form and Villa’s Darren bloody Bent

by
Stephen Goldsmith ponders Fletcher, Bramble and Bent

Stephen Goldsmith writes: I can’t believe I’m about to venture into Darren Bent territory once more. Well actually, I can. He simply doesn’t make it easy for us Sunderland fans not to. There are two developments directly involving Sunderland to discuss on Salut! Reflections this week, with Darren Bent being another. Let’s get to it…

Read more

Crosstalk: Salut! Sunderland speaks to The Anfield Wrap about Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson

by
Jake on the art of communication

Stephen Goldsmith writes: I have defended the abilities of Jordan Henderson as a footballer to quite an extent since his big money move to Anfield a year ago. If you believe your opinion is accurate regarding something, you are likely to express it and fully believe in it if you feel it is necessary to do so.

Read more

Goldy’s Logic: Is Cattermole to Sunderland what Vieira was to Arsenal?

by

 

Catts by Jake

When Patrick Vieira smashed his elbow into Darren Williams in the opening game of the season in August 2000, it was an act of aggression we had come to expect from the fiery Frenchman. The subsequent red card that followed was to be his fifth in four seasons, yet amazingly, fast forward two days to a match at Anfield and Graham Poll ensured that statistic would rise to six in four seasons. There appeared to be nowhere to go for Vieira from there. Well there was, to pastures new and away from the Premier League. Two sendings off in three days takes some doing.

Read more

Salut! Reflections: Rose’s desire to leave Spurs, Sessegnon’s form questioned

by

Stephen Goldsmith writes: Recent discussions between Monsieur Salut and myself concluded that this feature could be a functional way of giving contributors a topical voice. I say discussion, Monsieur may suggest it was more a one-sided pitch akin to Tony Soprano’s boys popping round for a chat. Monday in itself provided plenty of material for debate but I held back to try and maybe do a summary at the week’s end. Since then, it has been reported that James McFadden is training with the club and I’m going to ignore suggestions from Mr O’Neill that he plans to move Craig Gardner back into midfield, in the hope that it was my imagination that I read it in the first place.

Read more