It's looking good for us to challenge for 4th place!

Spurs not creating many chances without Modric and VDV. Norwich could have easily won it today.

Everton losing to WBA. They did win their first two games, but lets face it. They always raise their game for Man Utd, and Aston Villa are ****. I think they'll do well, but I think we'll finish above them.

Arsenal not using any of the cash from the RVP and Song sales! And they don't look very good in front of goal.

Liverpool, well they were unlucky not to beat Man City, but they still couldn't take their chances in open play, they got their goals from two set plays. Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong scoring like that, but you need to take your chances in open play, special goals/set plays wont come along every tame.

If we win tomorrow, we'll be sitting well after our first set of games!!

HTL!

 

Setting yourself up for a fail Tash, I regard tomorrow as a banana skin and then we have Everton and Man U to travel to

 

Not really, I think the signs are there, and IF we can win tomorrow, that's a good start to our campaign.

I think we have a real chance.

 

But we are still at the very start of season. Everything has to fall into place nicely to even have a chance. Cisse needs to find the scoring boots, Tiote needs to stay fit and on form, need a productive Jan transfer window as the aforementioned teams will be reacting to any shortfalls in results or placing.

Get as many points on the board as we can and only at the end of Jan will I start looking at the run in

 

Is the Man U game not at home? I get what your saying tho about tomorrow being a banana skin, if we have serious aspirations of a top 4 finish we have to be beating teams like villa at home!

 

All I'm saying is that we have a chance of pushing for the top 4, I don't see why we have to argue about it. Not saying we will, but there's a chance, and I don't think anyone could give a good reason as to why we can't. I know we're not one of the best odds to do it, but I think we can put ourselves in the category of threatening 4th place.

We're not the only side with depth issues and European concerns remember.

We are at the start of the season, but Spurs are already dropping points, and games like Norwich and WBA are games they should be winning.

If we win against Villa, then I think winning our first two home games, and getting through to Europe is a fantastic start.

 

Sunderland fan in peace

I think you are still going by last season Tash, so far in the 4 games you have played, you haven't been playing anything like you were last season when you were really putting teams to the sword. Cisse has yet to find his scoring boots and Tiote doesn't seem to be able to get fully fit at the moment, for whatever reason. In my honest opinion you haven't kicked on from last season in terms of improving your squad but only time will tell with that one.

Saying all that you still have a good team and I reckon you will be 6-9th which should still represent a good season

 

By the way you will smash Villa tomorrow, they seem to be a team in total disarray and I can see you winning 3 or 4 nil

 

Top 4 with our squad ?? What have you been drinking ???

 

Oh dear..

 

Anything below a Europa League spot would be disappointing.

And It's actually a promising thing that we've still won games, whilst being less than 100%

Cisse just came back from Ramadan, and had to play 3 games in 7 days. We only really need one striker finding the net out of both to win.

We've had a tough start, having to play Spurs and Chelsea whilst playing Europe League ties, but we've had a decent start, and a win tomorrow, regardless of how we play, would represent a fantastic start to the season.

The fact that we've played average or below a lot of times over the last two seasons, and won a lot of games, shows what a quality side we are.

I'm basing my opinions on what I think the team is able to achieve, and also on the sides around us. I know the season is long, but we will see what happens.

I'm not saying 4th place is totally on the cards, but we can be in the mix to challenge for it, despite Arsenal being probably the favourites.

However, if Arsenal and Spurs continue to drop points, and we continue scoring goals, whether we play poorly or well, means we're in with a chance.

6th place would be my personal target, 7th only if it gets Europa League again next season.

What I really want for us, is to be in Europe next season, but with a stronger side. Perhaps if we end 2012 successfully, and get through to the knock out stages of Europe, the club will stop being so tight and start spending money on worthy players.

 

You're becoming extremely negative.

Everyone seems to worry about our squad, but not look at the others around us. Spurs squad is hardly immense anymore. They lack depth in certain areas, like we do, plus they're not winning games.

The Manc clubs, Chelsea and Arsenal have better squads. Below them, we're not really weaker than anyone else.

 

If we can keep important players fit then it's certainly possible. We've played like crap in the games so far, but that was also true at the start of last season.

 

We won't be finishing 4th with this squad assuming we play Ba or Cisse in the Europa League. You're putting too much emphasis on Spurs who have a ****e manager and a weaker team from last year.

I don't fully agree with the Mackem either though, we've had 2 very tough games where Cisse has hardly had a sniff. Also we started slowly last season too, dull draw with Arsenal, fiery but cagey win at the dark place. Scraped past Fulham at home before two more lacklustre performances. It's far to early to make assumptions after 2 tough games but I'm not holding my breath for anything higher than 7th or 8th with this squad (a couple of injuries and we might be nearer 10th-11th). I cannot for the life of me understand why we let both Best and Mcloven go and then didn't bring a striker in. We're in one more comp than we were last year and either would have been perfect for the cup games.

 

I'm from Jarra mate, class myself as a geordie but still no less of a Sunderland supporter

 

SHAME on you!.......Agree with your summary though.....Is that shame on me?

 

You were saying Tash?

 

Shame on you this one pal, Jarrow is part of South 'Tyneside' therefore I have to be labelled as a Geordie, surely? My accent is just as much Geordie as anybody else without a hint of Mackem twang. There's absolutely thousands of Geordie Sunderland supporters, never hear of any Mackem Newcastle supporters though...

 

I think I took it wrong mate lol, I didn't really pick up on the highlighted bit, but anyway lets still say shame on you

 

Aye, just joshing with you, mind you, Geordies can be Sunderland fans without being accused of glory hunting...while Mackems can't say the same