It should not get much more nailbiting than this – but it may well do so between now and Watford away on the last day of the season.
The weekend threatens to be tricky. Who would put it past an Alan Pardew side to roll over at St James’ Park, assuming he dislikes us more than Mike Ashley? Or for Arsenal to be well below par at home to Norwich?
Pete Sixsmith presents his customary expert analysis and reflects on what might have been if only we’d been playing like this at the start of the season. Three points would have been a lot more reassuring, but this was a fine, fighting draw and keeps survival within our own hands…
Colin Randall writes: this was a gritty display that brought the point needed to take SAFC out of the bottom three. No one played badly. Several – I’m thinking of Yedlin, K and K in central defence, Catts and Khazri – did especially well. It leaves lots of work to do but we are still in control of our own destiny and three words of the headline are stolen from Pete Sixsmith’s instant verdict (one he then changed for what you now see below) …
Colin Randall writes: Salut! Sunderland is not a political site. Its contributors and readers have their views on all sorts of issues beyond football and no attempt is made to block those that pass ordinary tests of decency and legality. Some will support the junior doctors wholeheartedly in their dispute with the Government, others may consider their stance wrong-headed.
But the fact is their members at the Sunderland Royal are setting up a stall outside the Stadium of Light (beside A Love Supreme’s office) before the Arsenal match on Sunday so that fans can stop and raise any questions they wish. I happen to support the doctors’ cause. My view is unimportant but I am happy to allow space to one of them, Paula Bradley*, to explain the background. If Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, sets up his own stall before the Chelsea or Everton games to explain his position, he’s welcome to write about it, too, but I won’t be holding my breath …
Nick Birch* is this season’s second supporter from the Arsenal fan site Gunners Town to volunteer or be volunteered for the ‘Who are You?’ hot seat. He’s a regular home and away, shares the apparently increasing disenchantment with Arsène Wenger and, instead of laughing at the idea of there being a Sunderland player who might do a job for the Gunners, suggests that Jermain Defoe could compete for a place if only as an impact sub. He will be at the Stadium of Light on Sunday and cheerfully accepts our best wishes for a great day out, to be followed by the visiting Londoner’s obligatory night out on the Toon, marred only by the result (can we also pray for glum faces in Bigg Market after a defeat at Anfield?) …
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So, Guess the Score is again a prize edition and again there’s a catch. Only a correct entry predicting a winning scoreline for Sunderland qualifies; it must be the first to be posted before kickoff to claim the prize. Since the cost would be borne by Monsieur Salut, and he supports Sunderland and we need the points, that can be seen as rough justice but justice all the same. And as the prize is only a mug, it hardly matters anyway …
Football can really be quite simple. If Newcastle United can play like men unaccustomed to the sport for most of the season and then come close to beating a top four team, albeit one that barely bothered to turn up despite bringing its own linesman, Sunderland – having been quicker to overcome the same malaise – must go one better.
But at the very least we have to avoid defeat against Arsenal on Sunday.
While we wait and hope for the right kind of Manchester City to turn up at SJP tonight, let us hear more from Michael Ganley on his admirable Fans Museum project. Michael has just posted some terrific new photographs at the Salut! Sunderland Facebook group as well as announcing a new corporate sponsor. You need a Facebook account to see all the photos – and really should join the group if you haven’t already – at https://www.facebook.com/groups/salutsunderland/ …
Read Peter Lynn‘s assessment of the relegation run-in and why he believes it favours Sunderland. Check the remaining fixtures – see footnote – for yourselves and vote. Since Monsieur Salut and his Norwich and Newcastle bloggers at ESPN FC all put their teams to finish 17th, we can hardly be surprised if the poll results reflect similar partisan hopes. But have a go all the same – some people may even be objective …
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Pete Sixsmith bemoaned the 4am alarm call. He was nervy in the buildup, still nervy at half time with the Lads one up. See how he feels now in his seven-word verdicts (two for the price of one). To finish the game on 3-0, comfortably in the end, reflected a fabulous team display with Lee Cattermole in magnificent form and great sharpness from Borini, Defoe and Watmore. …
No, it doesn’t all come down to this one game. But if we leave aside the crazy mathematics that would theoretically allow for Newcastle to finish on 43 points while Palace and Watford went down with Villa, we know in our hearts what is at stake at Carrow Road on Saturday.