Possibly out of sequence as we await Pete Sixsmith’s magisterial analysis of SAFC vs Stoke. But the weekend is approaching, I’ve a lot on – paid-for work – so let’s get cracking with Guess the Score …
Gus Poyet writes to Monsieur Salut after every game. It’s not the most exclusive of communications, going to thousands of other Sunderland fans, too. This is what he made of our exit from the Capital One Cup, robbing us of one of our chances of another trip to Wembley. Sixer’s Sevens spent the night with no access to the Comments section. This was not intentional – the site’s system was playing up, also preventing uploading of Jake’s images – but, as Salut! Sunderland’s deputy editor, Malcolm Dawson, said, this was perhaps no bad thing. Gus was more upbeat …
Few Sunderland games pass without Pete Sixsmith registering his seven-word summary. After tonight’s exit from the league cup, he offered a number of versions: ‘Lacked pace, tempo and imagination. Otherwise fine’ … ‘keeper beaten twice at his near post’ … ‘disillusionment setting in already. A poor squad’ and an ineligible longer one ‘a very poor performance which does not augur well for the annual relegation battle’. Monsieur Salut has chosen another of his seven-worders and wonders whether we should react to this defeat with anger, relief or indifference …
Vote for Salut! Sunderland in the Football Blogging Awards: see https://safc.blog/2014/09/football-blogging-awards-make-your-yes-vote-count-for-salut-sunderland/for details
Unlike our 13-year-old pundit Keir Bradwell, Pete Sixsmith is not a contender for Young Blogger in the Football Blogging Awards. While he awaits a suitable category for long-in-the-tooth stalwarts, he’ll settle for votes for the site. But Sixer’s passion for the game at all levels takes him to the occasional Under 21 game. This is what he saw when SAFC’s youth took on Spurs last night …
No one, it seemed, had a dour enough disposition to suggest we’d be reduced to a wretched 0-0 draw. As Jeremy Robson has pointed out on these pages, that’s now two visits to promoted sides without a goal and with no more than a point.
Even before Eric Bowers popped up to say I must have overlooked a clearly invalid 0-0 entry from Cyprus, Monsieur Salut had decided in his headlong rush toward Queer Street to turn disappointment to virtue.
Mike Alderson* was the second Stoke City fan, and the second official of City’s South West supporters’ club branch, to respond to our request for volunteers for the two forthcoming games at the Stadium of Light. We will hear from his pal ahead of the league game a week on Saturday. Mike sees Tuesday night’s league cup tie as just the sort of match our two clubs should take seriously, since league honours are perhaps beyond both. One obvious question we would ask with hindsight: would he be as ready to tip Man City for the title, in honour of their more modest, proper-club recent past, now that Manuel Pellegrini has decided the worst insult he can aim at Chelsea is to say they played like Stoke to grab a draw at the Etihad? ….
John McCormick writes: This morning I was still hoping I’d get that phone call to tell me there was a spare ticket. I was ready for a last minute rush but I’d have got there. Was I lucky or not? Even our esteemed manager accepts it wasn’t the best game in this, the post match e-mail he sends to our equally esteemed editor and maybe one or two others …
This is the place where, game after game and ahead of his more considered view, Pete Sixsmith sums up the play in just seven words. Today took him to Turf Moor; at half time he probably wished he’d gone to see Durham win the one-day final Lords, announcing to the world: ‘Seen more threat at a pacifist meeting.’ Maybe he hoped for the rest of the afternoon off. The second had more thrills, with the woodwork seeing action at both ends, but Sunderland remained unconvincing enough for Sixer to see the event as a great advertisement for the alternative attractions of cricket or Rugby League …
It is time to vote in the annual Football Blogging Awards. There are some big guns in the field and Salut! Sunderland is under no illusions about its chances of picking up an award. We are not sure this is how it works in the Oscars but invite you, all the same, to consider voting for us. You can go directly to the voting form at http://www.footballbloggingawards.co.uk/about/how-to-vote-football-blogging-awards/, or read on first to learn a little about one site courting your support. Salut! Sunderland qualifies for votes in four (not three as I thought) of the 11 sections: Established, Forum, Club and Young Blogger …
The buildup is over. Go to https://safc.blog/2014/09/striking-out-for-victory-at-burnley/ if you ant t re-cap; it contains onward links to the prize Guess the Score and the Burnley “Who are You?”.