On 14/03/2015 at 5:48 PM, Frederick said:

I can't help wondering what would've happened if Ben Foster hadn't had that brain fart at the end of the first West Brom game but boy am I glad he did! Suddenly we're bound for Wembley, Agbonlahor's flying, Benteke's flying and N'Zogbia is at least partially levitating. It obviously aids the cause when you're playing a team who were utterly putrid but we played good stuff regardless. Michael, the supporters weren't exactly enamored with Poyet before, is this a step beyond? A quick sacking before the Newcastle game has worked before!

 

Witnessed the game first hand, unfortunately. It was up there with the worst Sunderland performances I’ve ever seen, and trust me, I've seen some corkers over the years. If not for the Villa players visibly taking pity on us in the second half, they could and probably would have eclipsed our stuffing at Southampton in October. Credit where it's due, Timothy has instilled some fight into the team and even appears to have solved the N'zogbia conundrum.

 

I think we can all agree that big changes need to be made, but when your squad is made up of weaklings and shirkers who aren't prepared to pass and move, track back and do the basics, you wonder what can be done to make things better between now and May. I'm not saying that the criticism coming Poyet's way isn't entirely justified or even that he deserves to keep his job, just that there must come a point when we have to recognise that our seemingly never-ending malaise isn't just about the manager. To be fair to Ellis Short, he's consistently funded deals for players who really should be decent performers, and yet we constantly seem stuck on square one. We continue to throw money at a problem that shouldn't even be there, and every dreadful signing and managerial appointment only seems to make things worse. I can't pretend to understand it, all I know is that it's been happening for far too long.

Wazza not anticipating contact. There's a first time for everything. :lullaby:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovewdru_Jjo&feature=youtu.be

Well, there we have it. You'd have to say that the best case scenario now is that we appoint a caretaker and that three from Hull, Burnley, Leicester and QPR do us a massive favour by getting themselves relegated. Whoever we appoint in the long term, we'll always be Sunderland. Great club, but terrible players with a terrible attitude, who see us as either a stepping stone to something better or a nice big payday when they've failed elsewhere. The next manager will be left with the same corrosive element in the dressing room and unless he's strong enough to stand up to it, the cycle will almost certainly start again.

No need to play Devil's Advocaat on the Poyet sacking, it's Big Dick to the rescue!

No need to play Devil's Advocaat on the Poyet sacking, it's Big Dick to the rescue!

 

Hopefully Advocaat has more than a snowball's chance.

 

In truth, any appointment we could have made at this stage would have been a bit of a question mark, but I'd sooner let him have a go than someone like Warnock or Redknapp.

...let me guess, a 2-0 second leg win just for the hell of it?

 

 

After Mesut Özil was actually really good last night, I thought the usual pathetic sniping from the press might subside a little this morning. No such luck. There genuinely seems to be a campaign against him at the moment, and it's getting unbelievably tiresome.

 

...let me guess, a 2-0 second leg win just for the hell of it?

 

 

After Mesut Özil was actually really good last night, I thought the usual pathetic sniping from the press might subside a little this morning. No such luck. There genuinely seems to be a campaign against him at the moment, and it's getting unbelievably tiresome.

 

The Mail and Sun are still crying that Bale trotted off to Madrid (hence all the lovesick gossip they incessantly peddle about him returning) and felt short changed that they/us/we the customers of 'EPL' were 'only' getting the chap he was replacing, thereby besmirching the holy brand. That and he probably declined invitations to do some puff pieces when he first signed. Also his body language is a bit too 'oh well, I'll get the ball back in five seconds' instead of 'right, I'll put that bastard into the stands' like a true Scholesy playmaker. 

My Club Brugge through to the final eight of the EL.

Especially sweet since the Besiktas players were quite disrespectful towards us.

Demba Ba called us a "second division club" after the first leg (even though they also lost that game).

Their right back said they would defeat us 3-0 with ease at home.

And this is their boards reaction to our being pulled out of the hat as their opponent:

https://vine.co/v/O2wbMzOUOBP

 

Can I have another bowl of Schadenfreude please?

My Club Brugge through to the final eight of the EL.

Especially sweet since the Besiktas players were quite disrespectful towards us.

Demba Ba called us a "second division club" after the first leg (even though they also lost that game).

Their right back said they would defeat us 3-0 with ease at home.

And this is their boards reaction to our being pulled out of the hat as their opponent:

https://vine.co/v/O2wbMzOUOBP

Can I have another bowl of Schadenfreude please?

Heck of a win over a decent Besiktas side who earlier this year impressed against Arsenal, Spurs and Liverpool from the Greatest League In The World™. Belgian Pro League > English Premier League?

 

I see Fiorentina stuffed Roma as well, which presumably means Serie A is better than Serie A.

It was a far cry from the utter shambles of last week and for once, the players' efforts couldn't be faulted, but it's another defeat. Fortunately the teams below us lost so we haven't slipped into the bottom three, and the performance gave me some hope that we can keep it that way. Bring on the Mags.

Loved the poor and ridiculously biased commentary from the Sky Sports crew, though. Larsson overhits a cross in the first half - "that's so poor from Seb Larsson", Aaron Cresswell overhits one in the second half from a virtually identical position - "that's unlucky, I wonder if it bobbled as he tried to kick it?".

Another late goal denies us an invaluable point. Didn't play particularly well but were at least more purposeful in the second half; sadly Scotty Sinclair was far too selfish and lacking in composure when it mattered most. Man U away next then QPR at home a few days after, better win one of 'em!

@ Gerrard.

Gerrard apologises to everyone apart from the player he assaulted. Classy.
 
I must say though, hearing the challenge described as "a stamping action" made me laugh. As if you'd punch someone and then say, "No, I didn't punch you. It was a punching action towards your face."

Was less One Night in Istanbul, more One Night in that club in Southport. 

Steven Fletcher actually scored. New Lamborghinis all round!

Against Gibraltar. Those are like the reverse dog years of goals. 7 vs. them is like one real goal.

For a player worth his salt, yes, but it would take at least seven Fletchers to make one half-decent striker.

We won our away game in Israel and go to the top of the group, but it was perhaps the most dire performance we had since early 2012.

Talk of a new contract for Darren Bent when I've said my goodbyes to the man more times than a military wife! He's Hachi the dog meets Rocky Balboa and you just know I'll end up at his testimonial game!