A letter to True Faith...... the mackem myth....

I stole this from the True Faith website but found it interesting.......

Dear tf,


Thought I’d write in and share my views on some post derby mackem myths and how to bust them. Sorry it’s a bit long winded.


#1 Mackem Myth: “You celebrated it like you’d won the Champions League.”


Reality: Whilst I’ll admit seeing us snatch the victory that you, mackem, so desperately craved in the cruellest of circumstances was glorious and the goal celebrations a fantastic experience - you’ll find the final whistle was met with applause and warmth from the SJP crowd after a battling display was rewarded with a deserved equaliser. We sang songs about our local hero mackem slayer and showed encouragement and support for our team which will hopefully spur them on in the chase for European qualification. Compare this to Assomah Gyan’s equaliser at the SOL last year where the following occurred;



1. A small and pre-meditated pitch invasion saw our goal keeper assaulted

2. The Sunderland fans who had stayed until the end (about 30,000 in number) stayed long after the final whistle to ‘celebrate’ and goad the away with 1 1 finger signs.

3. Assamoah Gyan became a mackem hero and spent the rest of the year talking up ‘getting one over the mags’. (How’s he getting on for you by the way?)

4. Darren Bent left

5. Your manager was unable to play his song. Your team and manager never recovered and despite new signings who’s Champions League wages are crippling the club; it is only recently that the club have shown any sign of performing in an average Premier League. The ‘MON factor’ has lead you to joint 13th place in 4 months. Three places higher than the club found itself when Bruce was shown the door.



#2 Mackem Myth: “Tiote should have been sent off and you were lucky to have 11 men by the end.”



Reality: I think you’ll find, mackem, that none of Tiote’s fouls were reckless, late or anything other than genuine attempts to win the ball whilst not compromising the opposing players safety. Contrast this to the challenges by Lee Cattermole and James Mclean. Mclean’s tackle especially was inexcusable. It was an area of the pitch that held no strategic benefit to your team as any positive result (a goal kick to the opposition being the most likely outcome) was always only probable by possibly severely injuring an opponent. Lee Cattermole targets players before they go onto the pitch and the very fact that he administered such a late, cowardly tackle from behind so early in the game is indicative of the fact that Tiote’s physical presence and superior footballing ability to Cattermole, clearly had ‘Catts’ riled and worried. Cheick Tiote has had one red card in English Football. Lee Cattermole 6.



# Mackem Myth: “Aye but Tiote went down like a girl and even though Sess was stupid it’s sad to see that professionals getting fellow professionals sent off and it’s just like the rest of the diving cheats at your club. As the lad on MOTD2 said, Sess is the smallest player on the pitch.”



Reality: When was the last time you received an elbow to the throat mackem? It hurts. Maybe Tiote made sure the ref knew how much it hurt and over egged it abit. If there had been no contact and Tiote went down then perhaps I could see your point. The only relevance of Sessegnon’s height is that he was aiming for the jaw but hit the throat. If you would like a genuine incident of cheating please re-watch Seb Larsen’s swallow dive at Wolves this season and subsequent agony despite there being no contact whatsoever.



#4 Mackem Myth: “Pardew suits your club perfectly. He lacks class and is smarmy. He was a disgrace. I’m so happy we have MON who is completely different in every way”



Reality: You are correct in recognising that Alan Pardew recognises the potential that Newcastle United has as one of England’s biggest clubs and thus is a good fit for us. Able to attract over 50,000 people a week seems to inspire Pardew and he regularly mentions that this was a key factor in convincing players with real hunger and footballing ability to the club. For too long managers and players have used the passion and potential of the football club as a safe guard for their failure. Steve Bruce tried a similar method at Sunderland by blaming the fans and expectation but his constant failings against NUFC (and Alan Pardew on two occasions) were the real undoing of his tenure. However, Alan Pardew has not received any fines or touch line bans for the FA while managing NUFC and has been as gracious in defeat as he has victory whilst representing us in the media. His displeasure at the attempts of your team to impose real physical damage on members of his team clearly upset Alan and he responded by showing his relief towards the mastermind of your thuggery, Martin Oneil. If you remember the derby game at the SOL this season (Ryan Taylor Over the Wall), tackles by Bardsley on Collo and Cattermole on Jonas went unpunished; with straight reds being branded on neither occasion despite both players being extremely lucky to escape injury. With this in mind, maybe we can excuse Pardew for running a few paces and ‘directing a celebration’ towards your bench. People have done far worse. Pardew apologised afterwards and offered MON the chance to put it behind them for the next derby. MON declined, a decision which Northumbria Police most probably lament as O Niels post match comments and conduct (as well as charging towards Pardew with his whole coaching staff) will have done little to take the hatred out of next year’s fixture.



#5 Mackem Myth: “Well O Niel got it tactically spot on and out thought Pardew in every way.”



Reality: While Sunderland contained United in the first half, despite failing to create anything tangible and United hitting the woodwork, Martin O’Niel’s attempts to wind up his side into aggressive hatred back fired spectacularly and could have real implications on the rest of your season. Whatever was said by the two managers at half time certainly had an effect as Sunderland never recovered from the half time whistle. O Niel critically took off Bentdner, your only outlet and introduced Fraser Campbell. Instead of the Dane holding up the ball you had Campbell dropping deeper and deeper which saw the ball coming back more and more often. The eventual effect was Campbell dropping so deep he gave away a penalty. Bendnter also provided adequate aerial cover at crosses and set pieces when man marking Mike Williamson, whose unchallenged flick in the 18 yard box lead to our equaliser. Thanks Martin.



#6 Mackem Myth: “Whateva, we will always be the classier club and always will be. That’s all that matters.”



Reality: I’ve long been fascinated by your obsession with being the ‘classier club’. I don’t think any other rivalry in England is divided by the desire to be of a higher ‘class’ than the opposition. However you’ve put forward the idea so I will respond. This is a list of ‘classless’ acts by SAFC in very recent times. In no particular order; Titus Bramble’s continued rape and sexual assault allegations, Lee Cattermole and Niklas Bendter’s late night booze-fuelled vanalisation of people’s cars in Newcastle City Centre, SAFC refusing to publically criticize or fine the players for their actions, the SAFC backed Steve Brue DJ set fiasco of early 2011, the personal abuse afforded to Steve Bruce because of his weight and birthplace (hilarious as it was) towards the end of his tenure, the sacking of Niall Quinn after he rescued your club but failed to deliver a full SOL for all but one game of each season ( I can’t remember who it was against each year), 14,000 empty seats for MON’s dream debut at the SOL, vandalising metro carriages, Gary Speed songs, less than 20,000 in the FAC against Arsenal, staying at home and watching it on the telly each week, Darren Bent’s mum receiving racial abuse by SAFC fans, the ‘beach ball’ incident, mini pitch invasions after every home derby goal, ‘FTM’ ideology, throwing coins at us each and every derby at the SOL despite the presence of disabled Sunderland fans on the concourse below, failed Sports Direct piss takes, the Euphoria of NUFC relegation in 2009, the weeks of celebrations and special events that followed, playing in front of 10,000 empty seats on the day NUFC were relegated against Chelsea with the very real chance SAFC could also be relegated the same day, Martin O’Niels post derby press conference, giving Lee Cattermole the club captaincy, leaving at half time on Halloween 2010 when the players needed you most. I could go on. And on. And on.

 

It's all true!

 

Mackem Myth: “Well O Niel got it tactically spot on and out thought Pardew in every way.”
________________________________________________________________________

Who's this chap O Niel anyway?

 

This use of the word 'class' is what amuses me the most.

Where did this come from? Did it all stem from Brucey's little cry about the song after the 5-1 game? Or have they believed themselves to be classy long before that?

It's really quite hilarious. And spectacularly misguided.

 

Aye clinging to the class thing is mainly down to being all they had to hang onto. They were able to give us a little due to a series of odious owners, but it was all just a smokescreen for our dominance. You'd have thought with three seasons above us, they'd have no reason to continue the myth. Maybe they aren't as stupid as they look and knew we'd soon be galloping past them like a good thing in the Gold Cup.

Lee Cattermole, Nicolas Bendtner, Titus Bramble, Martin O'Neill. Oh aye they're a real classy bunch.

 

It's the 'spot on tactics' that get me. Spot on tactics that gained a point (due to a mistake from Williamson) and 3 and 4 match bans for their top striker and club captain respectively. Tactical genius clearly.

 

Now now Colly, they didn't lose that's progress

 

To be honest, O'Neill did have his tactics spot on.

What they seem to be forgetting, however, is that it was one way traffic from the first minute of the 2nd half. Way before Sessesgnon saw red.

They had 1 chance (a decent one) in the 2nd half, but other than that it was like an attack v defence training drill.

 

4 points bragging rights for another year, all that matters

 

According to Arty Ziff they were the better side through out for the whole game and had the better chances!!!!

Obviously his busy busy hands were keeping him to occupied during the second half to watch the match!!!

 

I bet his hands were busy. Covering his eyes because what HBA did to Richardson was X rated! Let them believe it and head into their next fixture thinking they were unlucky. If you can't be honest with yourself, it often leads to disappointment in the future. I'd love to see their chances again though, I can't remember many.

 

Penalty. Goal.

Bendtner's (excellent) turn and half volley.

Larrson/McLean double chance.


That is all.

 

mackem myth #5, he also put Wayne Bridge on who let Shola get in behind for the goal. Tactical genius!

 

I thought we got owned though? There must be another 10 chances that my eyes missed, and it appears so did your? Unless god forbid the mackems are delusional?

 

No silly, we're the delusional ones.

 

Yes yes that's right AB, forgive me I'm having a few moments today. I think I may have over exerted myself yesterday taking too much pleasure from the bragging rights.

 

I think we all did a bit of the old over exertion yesterday.

My elbow's still sore.

 

This is self explanatory on many levels ....

 

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11678/7574903/O-Neill-attacks-critics

I wanted to leave but then Mr O'Neill has made me piss myself with laughing with this little tirade. It seems he is unhappy that the rest of the country agree his side were overly aggressive. He also seems upset that nobody except the Mackems agrees with his assertion that they were the better side. Brilliant I thought he'd be too long in the tooth to let himself get so wound up and become so delusional.

Sunday and this season just gets sweeter

 

That is brilliant