20/12/09

HOE HOE HOE (Musings From the Chair)

Merry Xmas one and all. And welcome to my first "Musings" for several months. The truth is I have felt like a stuck record recently (or just plain boring for the i-pod generation) and if I felt like that then I'm pretty sure you did too.

But another season of supporting Sunderland has that all familiar ring of anticipation, hope, disappointment and ultimately frustration. I'm writing just after hearing the news that "Sparky" Hughes has been dismissed after today's game. Too many draws perhaps as Citeh have only lost twice so far this season, but this is modern day Premier League football. 

I have seen some encouraging performances this season. Man Ure, Arsenal, Liverpool - even Chelsea though we were outclassed that evening. But then I have also had to suffer the all too familiar feeling of disappointment with the likes of the games at Stoke, Birmingham, Burnley and the home matches against Portsmouth and West Ham. Bruce has made some good signings but there are still many areas that show how far we have still to go before we can seriously consider ourselves a top half side.

 Full back is a definite problem. McCartney isn't the player he was, Bardsley lacks the flair we need to link up with the midfield when going forward and Nyron is Nyron.

 We have yet to see a settled back four and Cana and Cattermole will rarely play together after the first four matches of the season because of the regularity of yellow cards they pick up. Goal scoring is a problem if Bent isn't hitting the target, although three Bent free goals today might ignite something from the rest of the team.  

 At the start of the season we looked a definite top seven team. Now I fear we will be in the 11-15 group. Looking on the bright side I'd be shocked if we drop into the relegation dog fight but it isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

 Whilst I am not really 100% certain what happened to Darren Bent's mum following the Wigan match I still find it a sad reflection on the society in which we live, that it happened at all. Those of you who attended the evening with Gary Bennett will recall his experiences as a black player arriving in Sunderland. I have to say that I hoped we had left those times behind but reading comments on message boards it would appear not. Doubtless there are those who would treat Gary, Kenwyne Jones, Kieran Richardson or Darren Bent as heroes whilst abusing their relations.

 I have been using my non-Sunderland watching weekends keeping up with some of the non-league County Durham sides when they come to the Midlands. Durham City are going through a bad time having lost their main sponsor and all of last season's promotion winning side. So far they have failed to get a point in the Unibond Premier. They lost 7-1 when I saw them at Hucknall and it was literally men against boys with the eldest Durham lad aged 19.

The following week a good crowd of Spennymoor fans travelled down to Gresley to see their much fancied side lose 0-1 in the FA Vase. Both these sides had been demoted down the non-league pyramid after going bust but still produced a good quality match which could have gone either way. Spennymoor included most of last season's Durham City team but playing in black and white stripes gave me a dilemma as to which side to cheer for. 

The Boxing Day visit of Everton marks the halfway point of the season, so what is your Christmas wish list for Sunderland AFC in the second half of the current campaign? Trying to be realistic mine is:

 1. Key players (Gordon, Cana, Cattermole) avoiding long term injuries.

2. Two quality full backs.

3. A settled back four.

4. More goals from midfield.

5. Not losing to Barrow.

 Happy Xmas one and all!

Ha'way the Lads.   MD