Pantilimon urges Sunderland fans to create a white-hot atmosphere please log in to view this image Costel Pantilimon. 5HAVE YOUR SAY COSTEL Pantilimon admits Sunderland have too often proved to be a let-down for supporters at the Stadium of Light this season. But the Romanian says Sunderland need all the help they can get from the terraces if they are to improve their survival chances against Southampton this weekend. Sunderland fell into the relegation zone for only the second time this season last weekend and that situation could get even worse tonight when in-form Leicester host Chelsea. Last night, Steve Bruce’s Hull beat Liverpool to move four points clear of the Wearsiders. The Black Cats are one of only two Premier League sides who have won just three times on their own turf this season, with Dick Advocaat’s side capitulating against Crystal Palace in their last Stadium of Light outing. But despite continually letting down the Stadium of Light’s highest average attendance for a decade, Pantilimon has called for Sunderland supporters to create a white-hot atmosphere akin to the Wear-Tyne derby when Southampton come to town on Saturday. Pantilimon told the Echo: “We need the same atmosphere as there was against Newcastle. “At this kind of moment, we need that support. “We know we haven’t played so well at home at times this season. “But we need them to work together because only like that can we keep this team in the Premier League.” Pantilimon was an unused substitute for Sunderland’s infamous trip to Southampton back in October, as the Black Cats suffered utter humiliation in an 8-0 rout. The ex-Manchester City stopper claims Sunderland’s players have moved on from that drubbing, but knows how dearly Advocaat’s men need to gain some revenge by registering maximum points against the Saints. “Souithampton are a good team, but with the quality we have and a good team spirit, we can get maximum points,” added Pantilimon. “The game down there was something unique. “I think everyone has forgotten about it. “It can happen in football. It’s not easy to take it, but this is football and sometimes you have to accept it. “We’ve forgotten about it because we moved on. “Now it’s important to just look forwards.” Connor Wickham illustrates the importance of Sunderland's fans Sunderland striker Connor Wickham has suggested what the side did well to win over fans in their last game. Sunderland striker Connor Wickham has told the Northern Echo that he feels the club’s fans will always respond when the side plays in a certain way. Sunderland dug in and battled well for a point against Stoke City last weekend, showing the sort of fight which has been missing from several performances this season. “I think we showed at Stoke City that the will and the spirit is still there in the squad. The supporters responded to that,” he said. “It was just a reminder that if you give them something to cheer, they’ll always respond.” Sunderland are still involved in a scrap near the foot of the table, as they battle to avoid the drop down into the Championship. The Black Cats find themselves in the bottom three as things stand, one point behind Leicester City who play against Chelsea this evening. Fans will take any defeat as long as they see all of their players going all out for a win in every game. SEE ALSO: Report: Sunderland prepared to let two useful attacking players leave If Sunderland go down fighting then it will be slightly easier for the supporters to take, but there is still enough time left in the season for them to get into a good position to protect theirPremier League status. Next up for Sunderland is a very difficult game against Southampton, but they have the home advantage for that match and need every single supporter to be right behind the side. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I know there's been a lot of blame, both towards the team and the fans. Now it's time to acknowledge one is not helping the other. Time to pull together and help the lads to 6 points from our last two home games. We may not be responsible for the player's decisions on the pitch but we can at least do our part and get behind the lads from the second they emerge from the tunnel until the final whistle. If we do go down at least us as fans can say we went down fighting and that we've done our part. You never know, we could help spur the lads on to safety giving them the extra lift and the extra bit of desire to get us the points we need Or we can just whine on and go down with a whimper like the biggest bunch of losers who ever turned up to watch a football match, much like the ****ers up the road who'll protest and do their part in helping to drag their team into a relegation battle. We can do this, but we need to believe it too, not just the lads.
Shame iam not going but I agree the fans need to back the team this Saturday and when it goes titts up at least they won't get the blame. Plus it must be the first time I agree with wickham.
We know we havn't played well at home at times this season. sorry mate you are coming across as ****ing thick as the other dozy twats that play with you.
We did it for Cardiff at home this time last season and blew them away. It doesn't have to be Newcastle to create that atmosphere. we really do need to win this game, no more breathing space
The fans want to cheer , it's up to the players to get them going as there the ones getting paid for being there. It's not the fans fault the team are playing badly , but the players are always saying we need your support , let them pay the fans back if they play crap.
Our lot are nearly on my hate list along with MPs and estate agents greedy money grabbing useless ba stards.
I agree, to an extent, but the supporters should rise to the occasion and let the players know we expect maximum effort. If the supporters hide then the players usually do the same .......... I've seen it time & again.
Then why was the atmosphere amazing for 25 minutes before the Newcastle game what had the players done at that point in the day? That's what we need. It's far easier for players to gave a bit if fight... A bit of drive to play that pass or try that shot with 40000 fans making. A noise. With the atmosphere mist of this season a player will shrink and never want to try that killer pass for fear of being slated by the fans
They will shrink from making a "killer pass" for £30k a week? I'd shoot the entire opposition team dead for that! And then I'd blow their manager away. Who the hell are these pampered wimps trying to kid? "For fear of being slated by the fans"? - I'd take the criticism of the entire western world for £30k a week! The Newcastle atmosphere is no sort of example to my mind. Apart from the Glasgow derby (which has a religious element) and Barcelona v Real Madrid (which has a nationalistic relevance) there is not a game anywhere in Europe with such venom and significance as the Wear/Tyne thing (just ask Ruud Gullit - remember him? ). That is certainly not going to be repeated for Southampton or for anyone else and shouldn't be expected. Newcastle v Sunderland is utterly unique. O.k., I'll excuse Pantillimon for saying that, as he hasn't been here long enough to know better. Fair does to him for trying. As a fan, I take no responsibility whatsoever. Those twerps are pad money I can't dream of to give the audience something to sing (other than the Death March or The Last Post). I wonder why the Stadium of Light isn't swarming with Fraud Squad officers, frankly. The dirty robbing rip-off scum deserve that. I feel betrayed ... and I'm damned if I'll take any flak for it.
"As a fan, I take no responsibility whatsoever." I can't understand that attitude tbh ... as a 'fan' it's your club and you'll be there long after the players, managers & owners have gone. If you're not prepared to be part of an atmosphere and encourage the Sunderland team, whoever they currently are, then you're merely a spectator. Singing & cheering encourages others around you to join in, especially away, and that affects the team. Sadly so does silence & groaning, the effect is that they become nervous and hesitant. If you're prepared to take responsibility for the team playing badly then why not for playing better ........ it's your team!
It is a known facf that the biggest motivator in any job is positive feedback. Wages nave nothing to do with raising and maintaining a level of performance. Can you imagine doing your job well with 40000 miserable ****ers slagging you off?
Dead right ... the highest paid actors, in the world, can be affected by stage fright. If you paid good money to go to the theatre and started groaning out loud you'd only have yourself to blame if you witnessed a lousy performance ........ highly paid people are still just people.
nobody who travels away remains silent from what i have seen/heard over the years ,its the home games which have the problem ,fair enough if some like to sit and watch without cheering and such like as we are all different, but the same ones must recognise at this point it is needed to spur the team on in our struggle to remain in the top flight.
Where is this problem though? Why doesn't the team just get off their a**es and play better? Isn't that what they're paid for?
the problem is out of say 45000 only a small proportion actually use their voices to encourage the team the numbers mean nothing,thats why i say if 4000 go to an away game each and every one cheers from start to finish it is called great away support i dont think the home games do IMO of course,a good example is the palace fans noisy home and away behind the team .
It's surely a two way thing mate..For me it is no coincidence that our two best home performances this season was against Chelsea and the Mags, which were also the only two games this season where the crowd have give the team loud and supportive backing...The last home game against Palace, the crowd were dead from the very start which I feel had a negative effect on the team.. We have now reached the point of no return, so it is surely time for all who have SAFC at heart to stand up and be counted..
For me it is no coincidence that our two best home performances this season was against Chelsea and the Mags, which were also the the only two games this season where the team gave the crowd any remote reason for loud and supportive backing. The last home game against Palace the team was so sh*te from the start which I feel had a negative effect on the supporters. We have now reached the point of no return, so it is surely time for all those freeloaders living for nowt off SAFC to move their bloody backsides.
