AN and his attention to detail being mentioned, one thing I think is obvious is the bloke lives, sleeps and breathes being a football manager. I bet he works 12 hours a day minimum going over stuff and watching videos of his team, the opposition etc... I know he probably does most of that at home, but I've just got a image of the bloke who locks up at the AOL saying to him "Alex I'm just going to leave you the key just make sure you look up on the say out, cause the wife has threatened divorce if I'm late again!" To think it is rumoured Keane left the first time as he was questioned by Ellis Short for not moving up here and spending hardly any time on the training ground!I know Keane has admitted himself about the not moving bit.
Not sure if this has been posted anywhere else but this lad had followed us through the play offs and has absolutely no affiliation with us..... until now.
I have it on good authority, salmon pants did turn up at Wembley yesterday. He had to be rescued by security guards from fans having a verbal.go at him. He was not welcome and did not hang out with KLD and Co. Nor was he at the party celebrating until the wee small hours afterwards.
Agree. The combination of Gooch and Roberts on right pushed their wingback into a defensive role. Embleton is not a winger, so went more through the middle making our left side more open for Wycombe. Once we needed to contain them a bit more, Clarke's threat pinned their right side back, leaving O'Nien to crunch a few tackles in down the middle. Wycombe's normal game to get possession in the centre and feed it wide for a fast cross was dead.
Just got back in the house in Portugal with Mrs Malaga. We both can't stop singing Wise Men Say. Its bonkers really but am still buzzing
Great post mate. Some people would say that football is pointless and irrelevant. They may argue that there are much more enriching ways to spend your time and money, the theatre perhaps, but those people will never experience what we all did on Saturday. It was sheer joy, a huge adrenaline rush of excitement and the feeling of unity with your fellow man. Yes we were tens of thousands of strangers, who today might pass by without a glance, but for one day we were together part of something glorious. Whether we were there representing Sunderland in pubs across the world, sitting at home alone or out there on the pitch we were all part of something unfathomable to some people. All the money in the world can't buy what we all had for a brief moment yet something that will live in us for a lifetime. Whether it was those that we met, those that we couldn't meet or those who've gone before us we were together in a way that some people could never begin to grasp. Great to meet you both and everyone else either planned or unplanned ... ... we are Sunderland.
Probably already posted, never mind, from the Wycombe forum .... Oh, and for any Sunderland fan who may read this, that rendition of "I can't help falling in love with you" at full time was one of the most amazing, spine-tingling things I've ever seen in a football ground.
This is a cracking read for any of you with a subscription https://theathletic.com/3326399/2022/05/23/alex-neil-sunderlands-quiet-low-key-no-bullshit-saviour/
Just in case anyone's not had enough of watching the match back yet - extended highlights :- https://safc.com/news/team-news/202...tPJHf6PgjfI72hHDMg8zxK6fbsgyYs-ut6nPWIfsbIaK4
Loved that day, loved that result, loved that performance, loved the memories made with my dad and son and strangers in our hospitality box who all now love the Lads, loved the tactics, loved meeting Sir Niall Quinn and my boy getting his photo with him, loved the atmosphere, loved the sheer relief of getting out that appalling league, love the hopes for what lies ahead, love the fans. Love that football club. A Love Supreme. Haway me Bonny Lads
What has made me love Alex Neil even more (and I already loved him a lot), is that he's reacted to this win in a "its absolutely brilliant but the job is only half done" sort of way. Would have been so easy for him to big up the whole "bringing Sunderland back to the promised land" attitude but he's sensible enough to realise this isn't the promised land. He's acting like he expects to be challenging to get into the Premier League and I love it. I really don't think Lee Johnson would have. And I liked Lee Johnson. I said all along that I liked Lee Johnson but he wasn't "a winner". I found it so hard to define what I meant by that. But Alex Neil is what I meant. Alex Neil is a winner. He demands success. He doesn't understand why anyone would be happy to play well and lose. He doesn't give a **** about footballing educations if it is at the cost of success. Long may he be our manager.