After a highly nondescript performance at Everton on Monday night, I was expecting some form of response today. To say that didn’t arrive is an understatement, with us slipping to a 1-0 defeat against a rock bottom Baggies side.
Before I get into it, one thing I will say is that the minority who boo’d at the end should hang their heads in shame. Yes it was way below what we’ve come to expect (all thanks to a real upturn in form of late), but we’re staying up, we’re currently in the top 10 and we’ve just recently delivered four straight home wins at St James’..
It’s inevitable that we won’t win every week at this level with such a limited group of players. Yes they weren’t at it today, and it was a frustrating watch from start to finish, but boos? Give over.
Today was pretty *****, but listen – we're 10th, we're staying up and we had just won four on the spin at St James'..
If you're one of the idiots who boo'd at the end then don't bother turning up next time! ?? Embarrassing. #nufc #wba
— Black&WhiteBarmy (@BlackWhiteBarmy) April 28, 2018
Now to the game. Based on the first half, it felt like a game crying out for Slimani. We kept getting the ball out wide but never put it into the mix, and rightly so – Gayle wasn’t going to have much joy against two 6 and a half-foot centre-backs!
Slimani eventually came on, but did little to impress. He cut a frustrated figure as he went straight down the tunnel soon after the final whilst, and it may turn out to be the last time we see him. A 3-match retrospective ban looms after an alleged kick out at West Brom defender Craig Dawson.
It’s a shame really. I genuinely think he could’ve been a big hit and a player perfectly suited to Benitez’s system, but a mixture of injuries and a lack of sharpness (and time to impress) will make him out to be a pretty awful signing in the end.
It was just one of those days for us though, featuring no end of misplaced passes, sloppy touches and a total lack of cutting edge in the final third. It was a big chance missed to consolidate our place in the top 10, but it’s also a timely sign to Mike Ashley that we are still a side severely lacking in quality.
With Leicester losing, a win today would’ve put us level with 9th place, but on the flip side, Palace (who stuffed them 5-0) are now putting the pressure on our place in the top 10, moving up to 11th (3 points away from us).
I don’t buy the idea that we played without any sort of effort or commitment today, but we did lack the intensity and solidarity that we’ve prided ourself on over the last few months.
We were incredibly sloppy and some may have had one eye on their summer holiday’s – something that won’t be tolerated given each place in the league worth is worth £1.9m.
Today was an avoidable slip up and sloppy performance, but results today have actually confirmed we now can’t go down – and staying up was the ultimate aim.
Anyhow, on the day our safety has been officially confirmed, I won’t be too downbeat about this one. It’s highlighted the importance of signing quality players this summer – something that may actually help Ashley realise the importance of backing Rafa this summer.
Onto Watford away next weekend!
Kimtoon: it is balk. A really strange baseball term to describe when a pitcher fakes a throw and the hitter gets a free walk to first base. I only know it because I have been to hundreds of Chicago Cubs games – not so much a baseball stadium as the biggest beer garden in the world – they bring beer and hotdogs to your seats.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Craig Hope is now going for the Lee Ryder “I never saw this coming and write shyte” title now.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5674209/Sunderland-Q-gone-wrong-Stadium-Light.html
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Craig Hope asks himself “can they return to the PL” and answers “yes. 100 per cent”. Where does he get that knowledge from? The new owner owns Eastleigh FFS who have never done anything, ever. How is he so confident when he never reported anything about this? He says Sunderland have one of the noisiest stadiums in Europe and can attract 45,000 ON A GOOD DAY. FFS they are having very bad days and are in the 3rd division.
The stadium is in need of “a lick of paint”. I think Craig Hope is delusional and is writing **** to make up for the fact that he didn’t tell anyone, not a single Mackem, that this was happening. Again, another journalist who has no clue and just dials it in.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And the savior of Sunderland is? Mick McMackem, according to Craig Hope. Didn’t he take them down from the PL with the 2nd lowest point total ever? And Ipswich?
Craig Hope – go on Wikipedia and find out that Ellis Short is selling Sunderland to the only person that will take them off his hands. The new owners are nobodies. Chancers who will leave at the drop of a hat.
I just can’t believe the shyte these journalists come out with.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
But it is a new dawn for the Mackems. Until they realise they have to travel to Fleetwood and Torquay. That dawn will last about 5 minutes in a quarter full ground with the top tier closed off.
And let’s just brush Adam Johnson, Margaret Byrne and Martin Bain under the rug. And Chris Coleman and Simon Grayson. Like they never happened.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Craig Hope is acting like this is a good thing. No it is not Craig. Sunderland are being bought (?) by chancers who failed at a non-league team.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I don’t even know why I care. They have enough pain just living in Sunderland. That’s probably it 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
lost me mate. 😆
kimtoon(Quote)
Sharpy, wasn’t it not so long ago that it slipped out that European spots and cups were seen as a distraction by our beloved owner and something of a distraction to the real agenda of securing a return spot in the PL, or am I imagining all the fuss about that after it came out ?
Ashley is the king of BS, the guy couldn’t lie straight, just ask KK, Big AL and Hoots how straight forward he is.
He has along with his pr team mastered the art of subterfuge and every year we fall for it, nothing will ever be achieved under his ownership .
kimtoon(Quote)
Carts, horses,bolts, the clubs for sale , no it’s not she’s wasting my time, but actually it is for sale and there’s loads interested honest gov’nor. Holy **** make your mind up man and stop dicking about.
Stay and make us competitive, which is surely the remit of any sporting team / individual or f off.
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon: you said this. I thought you were referring to the baseball term – balking.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Or sell to the owner of Eastleigh United.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC, No bulking as in the English term
kimtoon(Quote)
Sort of similar, although I had never heard the word bulking used in that way. I typed in “bulking” on the internet and it came up with a load of musclemen:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bulking&qpvt=bulking&FORM=IGRE
Eric Sykes(Quote)
You know I am English, right. Geordie. Just live in Trumpland for now.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
That’s your excuse , I won’t tell anyone 😉 😀
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric , my bad, it’s actually spelt Baulk
must be a bristolian thing, spelling as we talk like those that spell idea, ideal.
kimtoon(Quote)
Balk, baulk, bulk
Bloody English language, meh , whatever.
kimtoon(Quote)
Lee RyderVerified account @lee_ryder · 2m2 minutes ago
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Slimani has been charged by the FA. No surprise. #nufc
kimtoon(Quote)
The main problem is, Sharpy, that Ashley might want to win a trophy but it will only like I’d like to win the Euro Millions. I can’t do anything about it apart from buy a ticket. If it happens, it happens. I don’t see Ashley striving and going the extra mile to help Rafa achieve his ambitions. He’s never done it so he won’t start now. There’s far too much needed at the club for Rafa to be given the best possible chance. The academy needs a massive upgrade and more money, our training facilities are a complete joke compared to the majority of other PL clubs, our transfer business is sluggish at the very best while we wait for Jabba to give the nod and we haven’t broken our transfer record for nearly 15 years!!! Even when spending money under McClaren we refused to go that extra mile. It’s not just about money, it’s about attitude and Jabba has shown his attitude is completely wrong and everything he does is with the club and it’s infrastructure is the absolute minimum requirements. That’s not what Rafa is use to and why he should stay and accept it here is beyond me…
Stuart79(Quote)
So Jabba has made 80 mil after Finish sports was sold he had some shares in the company
Icedog(Quote)
The Guardian did some digging on Sunderland’s new Chairman and came up with ****** all. Probably the most boring article in the almost 200 year history of the paper which is the only reason I am posting this.
It does illustrate that Ellis Short just wanted out and would sell to anybody. Me and Stuart should have put a consortium together.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/apr/30/football-sunderland-owner-stewart-donald-glenn-hoddle-eastleigh
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I will save anybody reading the article. The gist of it is that he has put in 10 million of his own money into Eastleigh and they have achieved the square root of f-all and probably gone backwards. He seems most proud of the fact that he stopped giving the players bottled water because they only drank half the bottle – sounds like he would make Theresa May look interesting. And he knows Glenn Hoddle. Mackems, you are doomed.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, he seems like a tight *******. A bit like Jabba! Will he stop players having complimentary tickets next?
Stuart79(Quote)
I don’t think this Guy has any credentials to own Sunderland. They are well and truly screwed now. I have met a lot of chancers in my life and he seems like one. I work in insurance and investments so I know one when I see one because there are many in this business.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart: I was half serious. Ellis Short would have sold to anybody. Well, gave away the club to anybody if I get my facts straight. Even us, who have the odd argument on the internet about Margaret Thatcher but are NUFC fans to the core. I am pretty sure we would do a better job than this Stuart Donald chancer. At least we don’t have history of failure at non-league teams and putting in 10 million quid in to boot. To fail!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Much will depend on the other investors too Eric as he is the one heading up a group of investors.
kimtoon(Quote)
Stu – that’s the thing mate. Whilst I believe the money will be handed over, it will still be the same numpties negotiatings to bring the players in. The pissing about that goes on will do Rafas nut in! – the haggling over a couple of million, rather than just getting business done. Also, as you say, this reluctance to spend over £12m on a player has to be put to bed. Yes you can pick up some decent players in the sales, but true quality costs nowadays. If that CF costs £30-40m, then we have to pay it now, simple as that.
It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s those things he’s looking for assurances on rather than the actual budget.
Sharpy17(Quote)
You’re probably spot on there Sharpy. The pissing about to get Lejeune and Murphy here defied belief. Having said that I wish they hadn’t bothered with Murphy. He’s had a whole season now to make an impact and totally failed. Rabbit in the headlights and that’s what you get for £12m.
The ‘kid’ is actually older than Kenedy.
georgio(Quote)
No it won’t. He is a total chancer who has spent 10 million pounds on a non-league team and managed to get Sunderland for nothing. He will fail just like he did before and because Ellis Short wanted out.
HE WILL FAIL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Georgio – Murphy is a prime example of what’s been wrong with the transfer policy mate. Along with Mitrovic and Mbemba – buying young players with potential but no PL experience. Maybe they will come good, but they aren’t what NUFC need now. We need players good to go – but they don’t turn a profit – buy young and cheap, sell for a profit – that attitude has to go.
Sharpy17(Quote)
I agree with that to a degree. We should never stop buying young players who the manager thinks has potential. I personally think Murphy will be a good signing for us. I read somewhere that Rafa never really intended Murphy to be a regular starter this season and that he would need a season to settle down. That’s been the case. He’s young and inexperienced but I reckon next season could be different for him.
Stuart79(Quote)
I have been a bit grumpy. That game pissed me off.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I see Rafa got a call from Napoli’s president last week… I imagine he will get a lot of calls over the next couple of months.
Stuart79(Quote)
I am in two minds as to whether or not he should leave. If I was him on a professional level he should probably leave and I’d be gutted, but I would also have a sly grin on my face knowing that it would completely screw Jabba!
Stuart79(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2018/05/01/the-mags-in-may-where-can-newcastle-finish-with-just-three-games-left-to-play/
May preview by Simon ahead of our final three games of the season
Olly Hawkins(Quote)