Sunderland

New striker needed: anyone listening?

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Want a bit of beating about the bush? Mincing of words? Then this is not the place for you today. Jeremy Robson, having stuck up for Steve Bruce the other day, wants his reward and Sunderland’s: a signing to cheer us all up. Do Steve Bruce’s comments that Niall is hoping to land a big name (Gyan and Carlton Cole have been mentioned) mean his prayers will be answered? …

Only a few days to go and the transfer window then closes.

Sunderland’s lack of fire power is such that the team hasn’t won a game in which Darren Bent has failed to score since the beginning of last season tells its own tale; and it’s a sorry one.

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Soapbox: life on the road. Kerouac had nowt on this

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“My fault, my failure,” Jack Kerouac wrote, “is not in the passions I have, but in my lack of control of them.” Pete Sixsmith’s lack of control over his passion for non-league football took him (mercifully?) far from SAFC v Colchester the other night, memories of some stonking exam performances by the lads and lasses at Ferryhill Business and Enterprise College (does that mean school?) fresh in his mind …

Fair weather supporter, that’s me. One defeat at West Brom, the toys are slung out of the pram and I miss our most important game of the season until the next one comes along. Disgraceful, I know.

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21 today

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Well no, the picture was taken at a birthday party at the Stadium of Light to mark (or try to …

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Sunderland 2 Colchester 0: slim pickings before Man City slickers

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See also: Who are you? An award-winner from Man City


Teacher turned part-time postman, Gordon Taylor* joins the illustrious band of Salut! Sunderland writers but is given the hardest of first-day-at-school tasks: make SAFC v Colchester sound fun …

Did you see the interview with Ancelotti at the weekend where he was asked why his Chelsea team never seem to ease up towards the end, whoever they are playing, however many they have scored? He said something like “The supporters pay to watch 90 minutes of football, so we play for 90 minutes”! Simple, but brilliant.

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Who are you? An award-winner from Manchester City

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Still to come, the view from Abu Dhabi. But let’s begin our build-up to Man City at home on Sunday by welcoming back the winner of the 2009-2010 Salut! Sunderland “Who Are You?” award, Martin Haworth. His responses were described by one of the judges, Mike Amos, himself an award-winning journalist (marginally better than being called an accomplished burglar), as “an appealing mix of passion, knowledge, honesty and occasional humour”. It seemed right to invite Martin, a lifelong City fan exiled in the North East, to do the honours again …

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What next for Martin O’Neill?

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We know a Colchester match report is coming. Please be patient. In the meantime, let Jeremy Robson turn our attention towards Martin O’Neill’s immediate career prospects …

Amid the concerns that some of our fans have raised about Steve Bruce’s management. a constant name was raised in terms of who we might replace him with: the boyhood Sunderland fan, and currently unemployed Martin O’Neill.

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Another team I like: Histon, conquerors of once-mighty Leeds

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As I cleared the spam box of drivel about colon cleansing, quack weight loss treatments and fake designer handbags, it dawned on me that our own Pete Sixsmith isn’t the only Sunderland fan with a strong, occasionally stronger (like last night, when he gave Colchester a miss) attachment to non-league footie. Stephen “FTM” Thompson*, the latest contributor to our occasional “Another Team” series, accepted my invitation to share his love of Histon with fellow SAFC supporters …

“Look at that twat in the Sunderland top. I bet he’s never been to a Histon or Sunderland match in his life.”

That was one of the comments I read on an online message forum following Histon’s famous FA Cup victory over Leeds United** two years ago.

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Bruce in: the case for

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Steve Bruce is a a tough old pro who would have expected a start to the season as disappointing as ours to raise concerns. “I think we’ve won five out of the last 26 games,” someone wrote. “How many clubs would put up with a record like that, never mind PL clubs?” We’ve given you the case against sticking with Bruce; here’s the balancing argument. Jeremy Robson hardly offers ringing endorsement, but feels it is far too early to start baying for blood …


The first real murmurings of discontent about Steve Bruce’s management have started to rumble.

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Another look at Colchester, through Colchester eyes

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Abject apologies to the many readers who attempted to visit Salut! Sunderland yesterday only to run into a brick wall of “site maintenance” and “this page not available” messages. We were up and down like a harlot’s drawers, as a judge once put it to me (he was describing the yo-yo existence of his own team).

The excuse is simple: our friends at footballunited.com were changing server. It’ll all be for the best, we’re assured, but some disruption was inevitable.

All the same, the interruptions and imperfections caused some inconvenience and disappointment, and meant that our Who Are You? feature for tonight’s Carling Cup tie may have been overlooked. So here’s another, with any luck hitch-free, outing for the interesting replies of Jon Burns*, chairman of CUSA (Colchester United Supporters’ Association), who takes heart from a good start to the League One season to point out that a big upset is far from an “impossible task” …

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