We're up for West Ham and staying in Shields overnight then off to Edinburgh on the Sunday. No plans for Hull yet but I might be on my own for once, Mrs Smug & sons all have commitments. Staying up on the Saturday before the derby but straight back after, Kate Rusby in Nottingham on Sunday night with the lasses
Will do mate. The only way I'll be there is to drive up and back on the day ....... so I'll be able to pick you up. I'm just hoping Mrs Smug welcomes the chance to have Boxing Day with her family. They hate me so it's a happy solution for everyone BTW, if I can't help, you could always ask the Hull lads to pick you up, before, and drop you off after I've done that with a few away teams and always had a good laugh.
I'm with Vegas, I think 6 points keeps us on track. However we have only won 2 this season so far. Again though we have had most of the big boys at home.
6 points will keep the wolves from the door any less will have us needing to make up lost ground in the second half of the season, which to be honest is not going to be as bad as I expected, after seeing the stacked Fixture List we had been dealt (yet again). I know I keep going on about this, but I think our club must raise this issue with whoever is responsible for these very important schedules, to give us a level playing field next season, now there's confidence for you.
Agreed Clockstander, who else gets Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool to play in 7 days?? However we have ticked the points over and a couple of wins are needed now. West Ham at home will be tough.
We are playing 2 teams that are above us in the league and have been getting good results and two around us. Let's just hope it's not 4 draws. I think Gus is not convinced with Fletcher as he can't really do the holding up role well, I think a new striker is coming in January, I'm not holding my breath for a top drawer one.
Id definately be asking questions about our fixtures if I was short/byrne. Weve played 6 of last years top 7 at home out of 8 games. Dont tell me that's random. It means we are playing catch up every year. If we'd had the likes of Hull, Villa, Qpr, Leicester, Burnley, west brom at home we'd probably be top 6 and carrying alot more confidence into games.
I have just listened to the Journalists on TV and Martin Samuel, no friend of Sunderland by the way, raising the question of just how these fixtures are compiled, beggaring belief that it is so uneven with some teams having to play all the top teams in one month etc., siting the case of Leicester, being in the bottom three as a result of this. This is the first time I have heard anyone question this in the media and hope more people join the debate and get to the bottom of it. As I firmly believe something is wrong somewhere. If we had had just a couple of these teams at home it is a fair bet we would have a few more points on the board.
This! I've made this point at the start of the last two seasons on here. Some had agreed with me but there are those who say that 'everybody has to play eachother twice!' Yes, everybody must play eachother twice, but it is important when we play these games. A team of our ilk are gonna struggle with this fixture list. We potentially go into the second half of the season playing our 'winnable' home games. At that point they probably become 'must win' games. Must win games are harder to win in the second half of the season. We found that out last season and, but for a once in a lifetime run of unlikely results against top teams, the fixture list last season would have contributed to us being relegated. Our home games thus far.... Man U Tottenham Swansea Stoke Arsenal Everton Chelsea Man City I'm not one who 'expects' to win games. Every Premier League game could prove difficult. Only the Stoke game is where i would say that i would be disappointed not to get 3 points. Looking at those home fixtures I am over the moon that we are not presently sitting in the relegation zone.
7 points would be fantastic. Love another win at the Sports Direct Arena, if only to get the banners back out
