I donât want to tempt fate and Iâm really not preaching doom and gloom but!! Right now we have a feel good factor, yes we hope for more signings and yes Bruce is still on probation with many but, the Farce at Newcastle plus a decent pre season and new faces, feel good indeed. But, what if.... Liverpool 3 - 0 Sunderland then Sunderland 0- 2 Newcastle. How bad will those bum cheeks clinch?
More to the point, how will Bruces bum cheeks cope. Those 2 results in the first 2 games would be a major disaster for SB to be honest. Its not a case of being reactionary but rather careful judgement. He has had a free hand this summer to recruit and rebuild. This is his team now and I still think Liverpool are not all that and the barcodes are not altogether preparing in the kind of way that suggests a successful season. We may well be beaten at Anfield but we simply cant afford to kick start our home season with derby defeat. It would set a poor tone for the season IMO and I'm sure the mags are ****ting bricks that after the Gooners and us, they will have 0 points as well. Bruce would wake up (if he slept that is) on Sunday morning with the heaviest of hearts if we lose at home to the craas and wouldnt be relishing the sunday papers. He could brush last seasons results under the carpet. This season he cant. It may not be right but its fact. Anyway, we will draw at Anfield and beat the filth so 4 points will be a good start IMO.
I think that you are catching Liverpool at the right time. No Stevie G playing and although you cannot guage much from pre season freindlies, they do not seem to have clicked into gear yet. (I am sure that they will at some stage though) As for us..............who bloody knows what will happen. I said on another thread it could be 5-1 to us or equally it could be 5-1 to you. But trying to look at it objectively, it seems as though you will be playing both Liverpool and ourselves at a pretty good time, from your perspective. (but then again, football doesn't often work like that) edit If you do get off to a poor start, how long wilyou give Bruce before you want him out, bearing in mind the final 3 months of last season
Truth? I'd want Bruce out. He would have proved that he can't build a team capable of competing. This is make or break year. All his players, all his tactics, all his glory or all his fault.
We are SAFC so we all know what is going to happen. A Barcelona-esque peformance at Liverpool, playing scintillanting football in a 0-3 win for us. Next week, caned by the Mags. Thats how we do things! x
Bruce can't afford to lose the derby, and i don't think he will, although i'm not nailing my colours to a home win either! I'm confident of a score draw at Anfield, without Gerrard AND Suarez, they are distinctly average.
You have to judge him by the season I say or even January, but lets not get too negative already lets see how the first few games pan out, even the top teams are a bit dodgey in the first few games.
Really? Lets wait till the teams are announced, i fully expect a defeat tat the scousers, whereas i fully expect a win against the mags. Even if we lose both, i won't turn againt SB. but it is a make or brake SEASON for him.
Seriously Comm, what's to be scared of in Liverpool without those 2? Carroll will be a threat, Meireles ended the season well (but may be sold), what have we to fear? Gyan & Sess will give Carragher a real hard time, and they ain't the best at defending corners, enter Seb.
It wouldn't be brilliant if those results were to happen would it, but if the worst came to the worst and they did, it would surely be far too early to panic.
I just asked what if, cant see it TBH and if, looking at the problems at Newcastle and our new players, it had been anyone but Newcastle I would say a win. Problem is its Newcastle and teams and form dont count, our new harder squad could.
Its precisely this reason why Ladbrokes make a fortune out of mug punters like me. I looked at our last 7 games of last season and thought immediately what an easy run in. I really thought we would win at least 5 and draw 2. We didnt manage either. I think we can get a draw at Anfiled. I think we can beat your lot. I'm not entirely convinced we will do either. As said, we are just as likely to cane Liverpool and choke in the derby. Its the Sunderland way. Lol That said, Bruce cannot in any way shape or form have those 2 results in the OP come off. Bruce got some stick at the end of last season (I was as voiciferous as any) but when the dust settled, I still have faith in him and he has bought very wisely this summer (we are not finished yet either) but he really does need a derby win to shake last season off. I was 100% behind the appointment and I still now retain 75% support. 2 straight defeats and 2 no shows and that would be put under pressure. 2 wins or 4 points and a derby win and I think it would be Alan Partride under the biggest pressure after the exodus of Carroll, Nolan, Barton and Enrique under his watch. How would the toon army take to a defeat at Arsenal and a thumping at our place a week later? How long will he get?
Thing is with the Toon, i think Nolan was ****e anyway,after Carroll left in particular. Barton is different of course, once Barton actually leaves, which isn't certain to happen, i might stick my neck out for a home win. I'm usually confident as **** on the derby, but i can still see that **** doing the chicken dance in my head. I hope his cock falls off.
Our main problem is not that we are playing Liverpool. It's not that we're playing Newcsatle. It's because we are playing ourselves as well! It should be a point at least at Anfield and an easy home win - local rivals or not. But no. Not SAFC. We will crucify ourselves between now and the matches and end up petrified. That - to my mind - is what happened v The barcodes last season. x
