Itââ¬â¢s gone very quiet on these boards over the last week, are we all suffering from an Everton hangover, busy on other things or just a little bored? Itââ¬â¢s Wednesday, the traditional day for us to start looking at the weekend, teams, injuries, formations, results. I get the feeling that many are like me, in a bit of a shrug the shoulders mood, want to get up for it but, well you know how it is, cant be arsed. Last Saturday I saw lots of anger and disappointment after the toffees game, I felt neither, said at the time I was pissed off and could not even get angry, thought it would have gone by now. The pissed off feeling has gone but its been replaced with an apathy and it should not be this way. I tell myself we are still in a great position, can still get 6th, certainly should be no lower than 8th at the end of the season, just nothing seems to lift me. Maybe the Argus prediction results will cheer me up, yes, I have those to look forward to them I have Niall next Tuesday at Sedgefield; he is bound to cheer me up. He will, wont he?
I worry that the players are apathetic and our season will dwindle away. Maybe they feel secure, perhaps bedding in new players is having an effect upon team morale, who knows? Bruce should and its his job to sort it out. Sometimes a good hard tackle can gee up the crowd. (How long before Cattermole is back for his next card?) If Bruce needs geeing up then we have a problem.
Of course the ground's empty. It's Wednesday morning. What are you doing there? Nothing better to do than hang around the SOL, wishing you had a ground like ours? (Sorry, didn't even try to resist it.)
Syd - That's the life of a SAFC supporter, all the emotions in one season!! We're in a strange state at present, perhaps bordering on ennui? as our points total sees us sitting in a very comfortable position - away from the drop zone but also away from challenging towards the top 5/6. Which way will the season go, performances of late have NOT been anything to shout about (irrespective of what points we were hoping for), SB's signed a new deal, transfer window is shut, so there's not a lot to stir the juices just now. I'm happy at our progress, let's take the Arsenal game first then we've the scousers at the SoL to look forward to where e can really get behind the lads en masse. KTF
My concern is that attendances at the SOL will go down and the apathy recently shown by the players will be transmitted to SNQ and ES. This poor run of results needs to be halted and out of form players dropped. I know that many will say that I'm living in the past, but surely the point of having a reserve team is to keep second string players involved in matches so that they are ready to make the step up to the 1st team as and when necessary. This being SAFC though, I can see us getting a freak result at the Emirates which will temporarily paper over the cracks. At least we have been consistent recently - consistently poor. If I performed this way I would sack myself! Pont has it right about a good, hard tackle. I just wish that I had it!!!
think most people got carried away with the 6th place thing, 8th is still good and better than most people would have thought. just one win and maybe it will kickstart them again. things will look brighter when one of the forwards return as the formation of the team is not right,
Ah Syd, remember we started a run of seven games where we are playing 4 of the top 5 sides, Everton and Stoke away are always difficult away and then of course Liverpool who are a top 6 or 7 side at worst. At the beginning of the season we would probably have looked at this run of fixtures and thought we might get very few points but knowing if we'd done ok before then we would not be in trouble and then we could look at the last seven games where potentially there is a wad of points to be gained. Well thats where we are at, in a comfortable position or so it seems in the league and if we pick up points in the next three games and then have a good run in the last seven we should end up meeting the clubs target of being in the top 10. Progress achieved targets met. Anything more is a Brucey bonus. Remember as well in the four games we have lost we have played well in three of them so it's not as if we've been crap, but we have been let down by defensive lapses which weren't happening earlier in the season. Maybe without blaming everything on the back 4 and goalkeeper the lapses have happened because we are not quite clicking as an 11 man unit on the defensive front the way we were earlier in the season. That may be because of the new look team with Suntari and Sessegnon in it. We are very attack minded at the moment, probably missing the defensive attributes of Cattermole and Meyler and Suntari hasn't yet had the time to fully settle into our way of playing and readapt to the rigours of the EPL. When I say about us not clicking as a unit defensively have a look at the build up play that has led to some of the goals conceded recently and see if the midfield could have broken up play to stop corners and free kicks being conceded. Ok we should still defend them but food for thought. On reflection though it has not been a bad season to date. Look at the players we have brought in, the football we have played at times, the points accumulated and where we sit in the league. Of the 10 games we have left there is no reason why we cant win all our home games and there are away games where we can pick up points so that top 10 finish or above is still there for the taking so cheer cyprussyd no need to be doomy and gloomy just yet.
As an outsider, I think that you are spot on. You are in the middle of a nasty run of difficult fixtures, and as you say, you should be able to pick up quite a lot of points from your last 6-7 games of the season, especially with the players that are expected to be returning from injury. However, the real test for Bruce could be the fact that he may have to motivate a team who at that stage could have lost 7 games in a row, and whose season has pretty much petered out. In a way you could be victims of your early success this season, as many fans got a bit carried away with the Europe thing. If you finish 8/9th it will still have been a pretty good season but many people will look at "what might have been". Sunderland seem to be heading in the right direction under Bruce and if he makes the right signings in the summer you could mount a serious and sustained challenge for Europe next year.
WTF is going on here?? A skunk being optimistic about SAFC chances?? I don't like "love ins", go away and come back with some vitriol in your veins man, unless of course you've seen the light and want to seek redemption at the SoL??
simon - I have NO intention of "taking advantage" of you like that!! Friendliness comes in many forms, that is one I'll leave to you and your mates on the darkside - ok??
Ahem, unless I am wrong, isn't it NEWCASTLE Broon?? You are quite rightly famous for your love of the "broon"!!
Now simon, why did you have to lower the tone like that??? But seeing as you opened them, sorry, opened the subject, nowt like a pair of flaps to keep your ears warm in the winter is there If you are lucky you can use the "pop studs" your lass has to fasten them under your chin!! I do.
