Pete Sixsmith has been more selective in the season that ends today, especially with London away games and ripoff ticket prices. He still got to most matches – including White Hart Lane this afternoon – and, as often happens, The Observer came calling for his appraisal of what he had witnessed, asking him to award marks out of 10 and nominate the season’s best this and that. All before today’s game, of course. Pete wil be back to round off our own series of end-of-season reviews …
The Observer had an excellent feature on the football pages, copied by others, in which one supporter of each club in each game gave his or her own assessment and out-of-10 ratings. Pete Sixsmith was a regular
for our games. The feature is no more – more fool The Observer – but Pete was asked for his midterm assessment (NB ahead of the Spurs game) …
Come back tomorrow for Pete Sixsmith‘s full analysis – actually, his it is only his nearly full analysis – of this priceless victory. This is how he saw it for The Observer. We start with the view of a Wanderers fan …
SHAUN O’GARA, BWFC Supporters’ Club
I thought we had chances after chances to win it, but we just couldn’t score. We didn’t play well at all today and our season is in danger of petering out, which is a shame to see us end it on a whimper after all that we have achieved. We haven’t got much of a midfield at the moment and that is costing us.
Player ratings:
Jaaskelainen 6; Steinsson 5, Robinson 5, Cahill 6, Knight 6; Muamba 5 (Gardner 46, 7); Taylor 6 (Klasnic 76, 6), Lee 6 (Moreno 76, 6), Elmander 5; Davies 6, Sturridge 6
Pity poor Pete Sixsmth. Another early start for a long awayday, another bitter disappointment. Once again, The Observer asked for his verdict. We start with the Birmingham fan …
KYM YPRES-SMITH, SmallHeathAlliance.com
We’ve been worried for weeks, especially after dipping into the bottom three, but this win means we can breathe again – we just need a few more points to be sure. I think 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game. Our first goal was bizarre but just reward for Larsson – he was our man of the match today, Bowyer also played well. We’ve still got a lot of injuries but team spirit got us through today.
Player ratings
Foster 8; Carr 8, Johnson 9, Ridgewell 8, Parnaby 7; Larsson 9 (Fahey n/a), Ferguson 8, Gardner 8, Bowyer 8; Jerome 7 (Derbyshire 90 n/a), Phillips 6 (Hleb 63 7)
For the second successive week, The Observer caught our Pete Sixsmith on his way out of an away game. He was in a lot happier mood this time, and with good reason. But as usual, we start with the opposition view …
JOSH BEDNASH, Myclubarsenal.wordpress.com
This was really disappointing, especially after United lost in the week. We had a chance to close the gap on them but Sunderland played well, harried us and gave us no space to play our football. We looked jaded and were far from our best. We missed Fábregas, Van Persie and Walcott, as well as Song. There was no creativity today and it’s so cruel that we are going to Barcelona with nowhere near our best side for the second year running. The second half today was a bit better than the first, but without Van Persie we don’t have any options up front. I prefer Chamakh to Bendtner, but it didn’t happen for him today.
Ratings
Szczesny 7; Sagna 6, Djourou 6, Koscielny 6, Clichy 7; Diaby 5 (Rosicky 77 6), Denílson 6 (Chamakh 61 6); Nasri 8, Wilshere 7, Arshavin 7; Bendtner 7
Mark Eltringham, our Stoke City previewer, is indignant. Why, he thunders, didn’t we mention Lee Cattermole’s great escape at the Stadium of Light? We did, Mark; see “Sorry Stoke, for once we carried the luck“. Salut! Sunderland is an honest sort of site. And Pete Sixsmitb gave another burst of honesty when The Observer asked for his thoughts on yesterday’s match. First, though, the verdict from another Stoke fan …
The Observer came calling again. Here is Pete Sixsmith‘s verdict, preceded by a Blackpool fan’s thoughts … John Woodman, AVFTT.co.uk …
It was bad enough to experience if you weren’t there but getting texts and/or listening on the radio: 0-1 oh dear; 1-1 get in; 2-1 yeah, can’t lose now; 2-2 s***; 2-3 you cannot be f******serious. Pete Sixmith lived it all at Molineux and then had to send his verdicts not only to Salut! Sunderland but to The Observer. Let’s break with tradition and let the Wolves fan go first …
Pete Sixsmith‘s considered view – a point won, or two sacrificed? – should be up and running here by tomorrow. But before he even left Wigan, he was being pumped by Salut! Sunderland for his seven-word verdict – published here last night – and The Observer for a slight longer instant summary …
THE OBSERVER fan’s verdict:
It was very frustrating at the end because I thought we had done enough to just about deserve the win.
Colin Randall writes: several times this season, The Observer has asked Salut! Sunderland to report from a fan’s viewpoint on Sunderland games. Almost without fail, that has seen the name of Pete Sixsmith added to the paper’s distinguished parade of writers (he kindly left the task of reporting on Chelsea 7 Sunderland 2 to me – thanks, Pete). Soon, Salut! Sunderland will begin a series of end-of-season reports. Today, The Obs runs its own fans’ review of how it has been for supporters of each Premier club. This is Pete’s contribution (before any tweaks or cuts by Observer folk) …
Overall mark out of 10
7. The new regime got off to a good start, had a major hiccup in the middle and finished reasonably well. The fact that our season was finished in March is some sort of progress and Steve Bruce has a base to build on for next season. We have been dependent on Bent for his goals and Gordon for his saves but we seem to have a strong spine running through the team. The owner has been quiet and supportive; long may it remain so. We have a great opportunity to build on this – the best chance since the early years of the century when a lack of serious investment held us back. I don’t see that happening this time.