Dear ALS

Like most Sunderland fans, I started Monday thinking how that injury time goal felt like a win. However, things quickly turned to shock around lunchtime when I was bombarded by texts, e-mails, phone calls from my Villa friends to tell me Darren Bent was on his way there! I was even more shocked when I heard how much Villa were prepared to pay.

Now it’s all done and dusted and Bent is a Villa player. In some respects I’m glad it’s been dealt with so swiftly. Clearly the player wants to leave as we now understand he asked for a move in the summer. Presumably he's been chatting to the likes of Ashley Young in the England set up who has told him how much he could earn there etc, etc. It also seems he has a very over active agent considering the amount of moves and transfer fees he has generated at the age of 26.

I've watched my Villa fan colleagues over the last couple of days display the same excitement I did a couple of years ago when I first heard we were going to sign Darren Bent. He will no doubt continue to score goals there and become a hero (I don’t think they've had a genuine goal scorer since Dwight Yorke 15 years ago) but I wouldn't be surprised if in two years time he will be after his 'last big move' and jumps ship again.

I really don't think it’s the end of the world, we're sixth in the Premier League, we still have a couple of very good strikers in Gyan and Wellbeck. Let’s not forget how good Fraizer Campbell was looking before his injury (let’s hope he can come back the same player) and we have £18million to go and get two or three good quality players who we are much more likely to attract considering our league position.

Let's make Onouha's move permanent, let's test Fergie out with an offer for Wellbeck, let's make Blackpool a decent offer for Charlie Adam. Then what about Robbie Keane? Apparently valued at £6million, if Bent is worth up to £24million then that wouldn't be bad business. It seems we have an exciting 11 days of the window ahead, checking the press every morning!

I've followed Sunderland for 24 years and there have been some very dark days but I don't think I’ve ever felt much prouder than I do to be sitting sixth in the table and going to places like Stamford Bridge and dismantling Chelsea. So let’s forget Darren Bent, let’s move on and let’s keep the faith.

Regards,
Russell Mould
Redditch, Worcs

Dear ALS,

I laughed down the phone when I received a call at midday on Monday to let me know that Bent was on his way to Aston Villa. "No chance," I said. "He isn't going anywhere - loves the club, loves the fans, loves the area and he was even talking about a contract extension before Christmas." Not going anywhere and I was very confident of it.

Anyway, despite being so sure, I checked the Sky Sports website and there it was: "Aston Villa bid for Bent" and "Bent hands in transfer request." Complete shock.

It wasn't surprising that another club had bid for Bent. After all, his goal record in the Premier League is outstanding. How many times have we heard the 'only Rooney and Drogba have scored more Premier League goals since August 2005' statistic in the last two days!

I was, however, gutted that he had handed in a transfer request and even more so when it came to light that it was the second time he had done so. After hearing him proclaim to "love the area" and "love playing for Sunderland" so many times, it really annoyed me. Even more so when I heard he was sitting in a hotel in the Midlands waiting for permission to talk to Villa. Sickening.

With the money on offer and him wanting to leave, it was a no brainer for Quinn and Bruce. Sell him and get and much as possible. There was no point in keeping someone that does not want to play for us. The obvious problem we are left with is filling the void he has left. Replacing someone who scores so many goals is a task I do not envy of Steve Bruce. Especially with us having genuine hope of qualifying for Europe.

I realise we have Gyan, but I don't think he will score the volume of goals Bent did. We also 'have' Welbeck, but unless we can sign him at the end of the season, we will need another striker to fill his role too. Obviously Campbell is still to come back and hopefully he can hit the ground running in due course.

It annoys me when people (take your pick of the 'expert' pundits on Sky Sports) try to justify a players motivation for moving along the lines of 'well, wouldn't you change jobs if someone offered you double/triple your salary' - that is so far off the mark it's untrue. For one, I am not earning £40,000-£70,000 per week. Secondly, I don't have a fan base the size of ours willing me to succeed. Bent did and has let every single one of them down by moving to Villa.

That's another thing. Aston Villa. Really?! I could understand it if Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal or even Man City came in for him. But Aston Villa?! Money really does talk.

I have no doubt that if Bent had stayed longer he would have continued scoring goals and become something of a club legend in the process. It is really disappointing the manner in which his time at the club has come to an end. Yet it has, so let us forget him and focus on what we still have - a team capable of sustaining a push for Europe and, if the money we got for Bent is spent wisely, beyond.

Ha'way the lads!!

Lee Watkins
North Stand
Newcastle upon Tyne

Dear ALS

Remember, whenever somebody tells you it's not about the money, it's always about the money.

Austin Baird
Northumberland

Dear ALS

Nothing in football should shock us but I nearly fell off my chair when I spotted the first screaming 'Bent demands move' yesterday.

And my thoughts and conclusions as for his motives were exactly the same as Super Kevin Phillips on 5 Live last night - money. The greedy git is reportedly set to double his wage to £80 grand a week - after apparently slamming in a transfer request last August as well because he didn't get a big pay rise. This is the bloke who embraced the North-East, who loved the club, loved Steve Bruce, loved the fans - wanted to end his career at Sunderland. The lying, duplicitous, two-faced cheat.

But the whole Bent business tells us what we know already - players, managers, chairmen, owners, even stadiums all come and go. Only we fans stay forever.

Now it's crucial Brucey splashes his new £24m warchest on top new blood to keep us on course for Europe - and boost the whole squad. I'd get the big notes out right now for Welbeck, N'Zogbia, Robbie Keane, Kevin Davies and Charlie Adam.

We'll emerge from this even stronger, screw you Bent,

Keep the Faith
Red Williams
Market Harborough

Dear ALS

What a day Monday 17th has been. To start with, that sense of relief that the lads – somehow – pulled the irons out the fire and did not lose to “them”.

Okay, it was not 3 points, but at least our 5 point buffer over “them” remained intact. And with friends and colleagues, I could seriously talk, however tentatively, about aiming for Europe this season.

And then Bent drops his bombshell

A few thoughts occur to me (that is, apart from ‘Bugger’).

• Bent was a striker in need of recuperation when bought by Sunderland. He had failed at Tottenham. Sunderland, then, rehabilitated him and rebuilt his reputation. Reading Sunderland press most thought here was a striker who really associated with Sunderland and the fans. This is a remarkably swift about face that is dismaying. I think he owes the club and fans a good explanation.
• To go- in just a few hours - from a player putting in a transfer bid to talk of switching to Aston Villa looks fairly suspicious. Why would a player want to join a club 11 places below his current club? Given there have been no rumours in the media (normally good at sniffing out stories) makes me think this is either very sudden (as with Lorik Cana) or that it has been going on for a while at director level.
• Steve Bruce and Niall Quinn have concentrated on talking about building a team and club, and seemingly were getting there, although in that typical SAFC rollercoaster ride sort of way.
  - For Steve Bruce, now is the time for him to really show his worth, in steadying the ship and ensuring other key players are not poached/unsettled. Any other players leaving will be a disaster – assuming Bent does go.
  - For Niall Quinn, the challenge is to work out how he can put more bums on seats if star performers leave.

In short then I am disappointed, but intrigued as to what will emerge as to reasons, and fall out. Although, I wonder whether we will ever hear. Was he reallyupset by the racial abuse of his mother ? Does he dislike Asamoah Gyan, and does he need a club to be totally wrapped around him for him to operate – whilst most big clubs expect even their stars to fit within a pattern which makes all play to the teams pattern and benefit?

Looking forward, I guess there may be a transfer roundabout here. Sunderland want, say, Stuart Downing and £18m for Darren Bent. Sunderland then need to get Danny Welbeck, but have to sacrifice Craig Gordon to get him in deal with Sir Alex. That might work well. On the other hand, losing Bent, and not replacing him with something, trusting in Campbell and Gyan with help for four more months from Welbeck will not be enough.

Ian

Dear ALS
 
What the hell is going on?
 
Within a short space of time we have gone from looking like we could consolidate a top six finish with European football as the prize to capitulating to kick and rush football from the Skunks and the top scorer handing in a transfer request.
 
Dealing with the debacle that was yesterday’s game, we forgot how to play football and reverted to their brand of hoofing the ball up the field. They could do it because they have tall bruising centre forwards who can deal with it while we don't. Couple this with them having raw, kick it if it moves centre backs while we once again don't.

It worked at Sid James and it worked for them yesterday. Why the hell didn't Bruce demand on the floor football a la display at the Bridge. Yes we lacked a ball winning midfielder but have better ball playing lads in that area. It grieves me to say it but Barton is a player I'd welcome in our midfield despite his moronic off field antics.
 
As for Benty, I can only assume something has happened within the last week that has upset his mind. Speculation says it's his lack of guaranteed selection since his injury lay off. Others say it's money or location.
 
I haven't got a clue but if he wants out, let him go and if necessary I’ll contribute to a whip round for his taxi fare. We as fans are fed up of badge kissing bellends who profess love one minute and demand to be away the next.

I'm sure if he wants a relegation battle then he's entitled to it. We only want players who will put a shift in for the club. The club is the fans; it's not even the owner or Chairman and certainly not overpaid prima donnas who change their minds more often than their bimbos. Sunderland AFC will still be here when they have long gone and good riddance to them.
 
Regards
P.Dunn

Dear ALS

Same old useless Bruceless

I’ve followed Sunderland home and away for over 20 years and I can’t remember such a pair of gutless performances in one season. If Bruceless thinks he is off the hook with that last gasp goal I pity loyal Sunderland fans for the rest of the season.

Let’s be frank and honest with each other the team the Mags had out was the left over remnants from their relegation team and bargain basement buys from lower leagues, also they had just come off the back of a good beating by Stevenage.

Steve in Washington

Dear ALS

Steve Bruce might know a bit about football, but unless his description of David Miliband was tongue-in-cheek, he doesn't know much about politics.

Describing Miliband as a left-winger is a joke: Miliband and his ilk are all right-of-centre Blair-and Brownites who don't have a left wing bone in their body. They sold their souls to opportunism and careerism. Shame on the lot of them. And Miliband is, apparently, an Arsenal fan.

Oh, and by the way, let's hope we stuff the Mags on Sunday.

FTM
Eric White

Dear ALS

Nice to see from the letters page that male PMT (I don't like the softer PMS version) is a true physical phenomena and alive and well in the letters page. It’s also nice to see that, whilst suffering from this terrible affliction, us blurks can still retain a sense of humour (unlike our female friends) and yet also talk entertaining first class bollocks (very much like our female friends). Keep up the good work.

Now then was there anyone I've not insulted yet? Oh yes.....FTM...big time, now, on Sunday and forever and ever. Amen.

GDB
(If I put my name to this our lass will kill us like!)

Dear ALS

I hope that reports in today's press that our great club are considering paying a Mr D. Miliband £50,000 a year to be deputy chairman are incorrect. The boards of football clubs are not places that prominent politicians should occupy.

Whatever party Mr Miliband represents in parliament is not relevant; his presence on the board will alienate a section of the supporters. He is a Londoner who always showed allegiance to Arsenal in the past and that fact alone should make him unwelcome as a director of Sunderland Football Club.

FTM
Alan Haile

Dear ALS

Thanks for publishing the witty banter it brightens up what really is a very sad affair, that being our "love supreme", SAFC have once again took an early exit from the not so prestigious FA Cup.

What has happened to our great English tradition that was the FA Cup? We may as well just hand the trophy over to one of the so-called big four and save everyone the bother of turning up to see an ad hoc team, play in front of a half empty stadium with the excuse being "Premiership survival comes first".

Some people blame Man Utd and Alex Ferguson but, he didn't pick the Sunderland side last Saturday. And yes!! Mr Dunn is correct to assume that players should not be tired and should be selected (if not injured of course). Which leads me to my next question, why do so many players go down with injuries that never used to exist. With all the technology and specialist medical knowledge in the modern game I would expect there to be less players on the treatment table. Surely it's not just down to tiredness and fatigue?. Answers please.

Warm regards
Bob Worthy. FTM

Dear ALS

My Grandad used to work down the pit seven days a week and play football on a Saturday and Sunday as well as regular visits to the Tin Club. He never let pneumoconiosis or emphysema bother him; he just coughed his phlegm up on an evening and spat it on the fire like all real men did in those days!

Apart from that, I just wanted to write to show our boss and Saint Niall some support. I understand that it is always disappointing to go out of the Cup at such an early stage, whilst I agree that the Cup has lost some of its lustre we all feel excited when it comes to third round day on the telly. However, if you put yourselves in Steve's shoes and see two important players stretchered off in the league game before the Mags, you have to make some difficult choices.

Something that really gets on my nerves is when the media talks about our response after Hallowe'en. This proves they know nowt about Sunderland and only pay lip service when they have to. Before the Mags we had only lost one game. I know we had drawn a lot but we did play some very good teams at the beginning of the season on did better than most of us thought we would if we are honest. The truth that everybody seems to forget is that we played well before that game and also played well after it. Yes Steve Bruce got things wrong and the young players in our team were over-awed by the event, but what could have gone wrong for us and what could have gone right for them all did producing an embarrassing but freakish result.

Now Steve Bruce sees an injury list longer than a soap operas Christmas special and another two casualties just before the Derby. He must think he's in the Omen films.

We have had some great performances this year and some great results. We have a Sunderland better than we have seen for a long, long time yet if we get beat on Sunday all that will be remembered from this season is two games. You can't blame him for wanting to do anything to avoid that. Truth is we all want to avoid that and if that means going out of the Cup then I'll swallow it.

I also want to say that about five years ago I went to Stockport Football Club to attend a talk by Niall Quinn to the Greater Manchester Supporters Branch. He set out his goals and ambition for our club. Remembering where we were (bottom of the championship) to where we are now, I can put my hand on my heart and say that he has never let us down.

C Wilson

Dear ALS,

At the risk of turning the letters section into a Chuckle Brothers sketch… to you to me… Bob Worthy maybe has it part right.

No mate I wasn't a colossus, Deputy, Overman or Electrician but it was nearly a "toss off job" as you describe it, a fitter who would maybe change a flow divider or broken Cat Track on a Mk2B Dosco heading machine in a Saturday 6.00am-12.00 noon shift and then go and play.

Remember though this was done on a jam sameej and a bottle of unflavoured water... (maybe a bit of Chlorine in it) cos they hadn't invented prawn fillings or pasta. No mate, just like the 'tough of the track, Alf Tupper' we would manage on maybe a fish and chips dinner wrapped in the Sunday Mirror but without fail someone would have a couple of fags ready on the touchline for half time and the oranges would be given a miss.

I can't imagine that your workmates were any different though… after all I'm talking about the soft Midlands rather than the steely North East.

Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

It was with great delight that I read of one of your contributor’s magnificent feats of working six shifts down the pit and playing two matches of football on the weekend.

This means that he must have worked on the Saturday or the Sunday, the man is truly a colossus or he must have had a "toss off job" at the pit. I am in awe of this man. He should give Steve Bruce’s half time team talk whilst handing out the orange segments. Stirring stuff indeed. I take my pit helmet off to him.

Bob Worthy. (ex-miner and crap footballer)

Dear ALS
 
Well that's put me in my place. Game set and match to Adam Capper for his response to my explanation.
 
I must emphasise though that the records will show that P Dunn turned out every week for many teams over many years collecting top scorer or cup and league titles year on year.

Injuries were minimal whether they were physical or mental and maybe that is just the point of my previous statement… whatever level you play at you perform to the best of your ability. Be it in the top leagues in the country or the top leagues in your county. You do your best… you win, you lose but you put a shift in. And you pay your subs each week (Sundays) or you get £3 or £50,000 (Saturdays). Everything is relative as you pointed out with your doctor or bin man reference.
 
Never mind mate… brilliant response and I feel suitably chastised for bringing the age and experience factor in.
 
Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

I write only to apologise to Mr Dunn. I did not mean to upset him or for him to take my letter as a personal attack. My letter was actually fuelled by a discussion with my mates after the game; it was not a direct response to his. Isn’t it funny how fans often have similar views or have similar disagreements? What a truly small world this is!

As a man who worked six shifts a week down the mine, then only to go on to play in England’s top flight on not only a Saturday afternoon but also as Sunday morning (I’ve checked the history books but can’t seem to spot this particular period of fixture scheduling) Mr Dunn has knowledge even beyond his considerable years. His personal experiences of 50 year’s involvement in one way or another without injury, mental difficulty or any sign of fatigue really does put the younger generation of professional footballers to shame.

Clearly the FA Cup is of such great importance that fans no longer feel themselves worthy of watching it live or taking advantage of the reduced pricing on tickets. I guess TV giant Sky also feel that this competition is of too great an importance for them to purchase the rights (as they could easily afford to do) and instead leave it to ITV and ESPN so that their frankly amateur coverage protects the public from shock at the incredible, magical competition that is the FA Cup.

I have realised the error of my ways and now appreciate my opinion to be forever invalid, I am will be moving to China and holidaying in Cuba so as to ensure that I receive a footballers wage for doing a journalists work. It will be wonderful to be rich. But Paul, don’t panic – I will be sure to send a post-card.

Adam Capper

P.S. Nice one Kev, you caught me out. It’s a shame that my statistic renders my whole argument invalid. I really enjoyed making that point as well. (I won’t forget you when sending out my post-cards!)

Ed: I love it when the letters get childish!

Dear ALS

In response to Adam Capper I have to say his PS section is a load of bollocks. A doctor is paid more than a bin man because his skill level is higher just as SAFC players are paid much more than Notts County players because they are better players and a better team.

Based on this factor one would expect a higher level of performance from our players. I wouldn't expect a bin man to diagnose any ailment I had just as I wouldn't expect a Notts County team to win matches for us in the Premier League, and I don't need to be a communist or live in Cuba to appreciate that.

Yes, the FA Cup can produce fantastic results that make it special and in the 1972-73 and 1991-92 seasons we were able to produce it for our club. We have no right to beat any team as he states, but it doesn't excuse the fact we were on the receiving end of a shock from Notts County when this season could have been a good time to have a real go at it.

As for the FA Cup being a joke competition with the Carling Cup overtaking it in status or importance I would suggest he's the one who knows bugger all about football. Then again when you've played or watched football for only 50 years he may have a point about us knowing nowt.

Finally: It used to be nowt to do six shifts down the pit then play Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning so any reference to physical and mental strength has to be treated as tripe.

Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

The Notts County game was terrible. We had players from the World Cup playing and still got beat. We started like we did against West Ham in the cup earlier this season; we looked like we did not want to win. Our problem in this game was I think we underestimated Notts County. It was only the 3rd home defeat of the season but that is still no excuse to get beat of teams like Notts County. Hopefully we will forget this game and play better against the Mags. There was one player I could see was making good runs but just not getting the right pass and that was Darren Bent. All of the North East teams went out Newcastle against Stevenage, Middlesbrough against Burton. All of the team were bad but there was a few players that were really bad, Marcos Angeleri was dreadful, Jack Colback was dreadful and Andy Reid was also dreadful.

The reason I thought Andy Reid was so bad is because in the last 5 or 10 minutes when we finally started to put pressure on the Notts County defence the ball kept coming out to Reid and he could have played it out wide but he didn’t he just kept shooting and firing the ball over the bar. Apparently some of the players who played on Saturday were nagging Steve Bruce for a chance in the starting team, but the way they played on Saturday they wouldn’t get a chance at Notts County never mind a Premier League side who are aiming for a top ten finish maybe Europe.

As well as the players playing bad the fans also showed they didn’t really care about the cup, which I think they should because that is the tournament we are most likely of winning because we will never win the league and we are out of the Carling Cup so we should have gone for it a bit more. Once Mignolet dropped the ball and Westcarr claimed it I had a feeling we would have to work hard to pull a goal back and go on to win the game. Then Lee Hughes scored their second and I felt embarrassed. Bent pulled one back but it was only right that we didn’t score again because we didn’t even deserve a replay.

We will have to pick up our performance before we are embarrassed again in the worst way possible against Newcastle. Steve Bruce apparently gave the players a good talking to after the game and so he should as we were terrible. I also think that Steve Bruce  should take some of the blame because he could have made better changes and earlier changes because bringing on a right back when you are trailing is not the best idea in the world, No matter how bad Angeleri was. Hopefully we get a few players back this week. Cattermole and Onouha are ready to return and give the Mags a good old hammering.  

Jordan Malkin

Dear ALS

Having watched the cup game against Notts County (a repeat of the Blackpool fiasco) one wonders why chairman Niall struggles with the lack of match by match payers. Even reduced ticket prices did not attract that many. Seventeen thousand plus is a miserable gate for the SOL. As a match by match payer I am still loyal to the club that I have supported regularly since the fifties but I can easily see why attendances have dropped.

Many of us cannot buy a season ticket/card because of work commitments. We buy match by match, but are regularly disappointed. The club has a very strong season ticket following but it was clear that they were absent in their thousands against Notts County. Perhaps most of them expected the outcome and weren’t prepared to pay over and above their already heavy financial commitment. (Why not include the first two cup games in the season card Niall?)

The match by match payers were there and they made up a majority of the very poor attendance. When will we go again after that display?

If Steve Bruce was honest he would admit that he got it totally wrong in the first half. The eleven had never before played together as a team! They were totally inadequate and before half time everyone but his granny realised that Angeleri, Colback, Riveros and Reid were out of their depth. Da Silva tried but never looked confident. We have a South American trio that are clearly not what we need. Collectively they should not have a future with the club. Andy Reid has done us proud in the past but he would be better off dropping into the Championship where he will do well I’m sure.

Twenty minutes into the game it was obvious to most that Steve Bruce had to get the ‘resting’ players off the bench. In the second half the introduction of Henderson, Elmo and eventually Bardsley, made such a difference. Jordan Henderson was a breath of fresh air and looked every inch the player that the supporters want. Elmo and Bardsley played with the enthusiasm that Steed had shown throughout the game. Unfortunately, too little, too late.

Bless you Stevenage. Roll on Sunday

Alan
South Shields

Dear ALS

I've noticed that when Steve Bruce comes out with statistics in relation to the festive fixture-list he does, in most cases, talk complete bollocks. Adam Capper appears to come from the same school - "6 games in 15 days" is a typical Bruce statistic.

In fact (starting with the Bolton game and ending with Notts County) we have played 6 games in 22 days, a workload regularly undertaken throughout the season by any English club involved in a European competition (in fact 7 games in 22 games is often the case for these clubs).

Kev Sables

Dear ALS

After yesterday’s result I have to say that I am not surprised or remotely bothered.

17,000 people turn up and expect to see us beat a League 1 side. Well what right did we have? There are a few people saying that a team getting paid X amount of money should beat a team earning Y amount of money. Frankly, if that’s your opinion then you don’t know a lot about football.

The fact is that any team can beat any other on the day. We see it season after season in the FA Cup and in the league. We had no right to beat Chelsea going by the logic that some people are showing, but we did beat them and Notts County beat us.

We as Sunderland fans gave nothing to the players yesterday, we showed we didn’t care about the FA Cup and so did they.

We are right not to care about it. It’s a joke competition, in recent years the Carling Cup has over-taken it in importance. Looking around the crowd yesterday it was a mix of the very old and the very young. The young where there because it was cheap and the old where there because they come from a different generation. A generation that cared about this now inconvenient and boring trophy. I don’t know many fans that don’t dread FA Cup weekends.

Sunday will be totally different and yesterday doesn’t count one iota towards it.

Adam Capper

PS: The fixture list is ridiculous over the festive period. Bruce is right; we should stick to games on weekends not playing 6 games in 15 days. It’s just mental and it’s unfair on the players. They get paid a lot, but that is because they are worth that money and have a skill which gives the club a much greater return. A doctor gets paid more than a bin-man and that is because they have a skill of higher financial value – if you don’t like it then move to Cuba or China and become a communist. Using their wage as an argument to say that they should never be tired or unable to perform to their top-level is an invalid argument and reeks of people who don’t understand the game or the pressures it puts on the human body

Dear ALS and Mr Steve Bruce

It now appears we have adopted the attitude Man Utd started in the 1999-2000 season. That is not bothering with the FA Cup. In that year Man U decided the World Club Championship was more important than a tin pot cup they used to win with regularity.

Well we can now add SAFC to that exclusive club, (minus the WCC) and if today’s results are any guide then WBA, Blackpool and possibly Arsenal can be included. It pains me to say that on Thursday evening I held court and was ridiculed in the club when I suggested that Notts County were worth a punt at odds up to 7/1 to beat our beloved club. Yeah, I was ridiculed for even suggesting such an unholy idea.

There was logic in my reasoning which of course was heckled as I related it. An injury list that would match a minor battlefield casualty tally coupled with Brucey’s admission the fringe and younger players would get a run out were the main reasons. We looked as though we would follow Fergie’s philosophy that the league was more important than a tin pot cup and after consideration I was sure Bruce would agree.

Oh you fool Mr Bruce. Hasn’t history taught you that a good cup run is the catalyst to a decent assault on the league? The fans get excited, revenue is vastly increased and the publicity is priceless.

So why the hell did you play a team consisting of 6 players you wouldn’t normally select given a free reign? The subs bench was warmed by at least 4 players guaranteed to start in any league game and our top keeper wasn’t even in the squad.

I understand we have a squad rather than a team but we had home advantage over a League 1 side (it wasn’t even a defeat to a high flying Championship team) who lost a couple of loan players causing their manager to bemoan his luck. The performance can easily be considered as bad as at the landfill in October.

The worst aspect though is we fielded a team whose weekly wage bill would possibly outweigh a 6 month bill for the opposition. So irrespective of which formation you selected the result should have been a formality. Sure, the cup is a great leveller but when the draw is made for the next round the name of SAFC will be missing and having had a supposed bye in round 3 that is a criminal offence.

Nothing short of European qualification will make up for this shambles.

To compound the situation I didn’t put a bloody brass farthing on Notts County… what a gobshite I am.

Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS,

I am sick of Steve Bruce whinging about the festive fixture -list.

Once again we have failed to have any significant involvement in either the League or FA Cup. And, of course, we never have Europe to worry about (is there really any other club in Europe as big as us that has played a grand total of four games in European football?!).

Apart from the odd international, most of our players play a maximum of 38 games a season - Bruce's fixture whinging is complete claptrap.

I don't know about him being a potential future England manager. He could certainly bore for England.

Kev Sables

PS:And while I'm having a moan, the Notts County fiasco involved all three of our South American superstars, whatever happened to Niall's statement that "we'll be buying British from now on", about two months before SB was appointed?

Dear ALS

I continue to be amused by the calls for Sunderland fans to attend in greater numbers. Although we all want to see full houses at the match I'm baffled by approach so far of whinging at the fans. I was pleased to see the club taking an exciting step by asking for our opinions in a fan questionnaire which seemed primarily focussed on the cost of tickets. This is a big factor but the whole match experience is crucial and so is fans feeling a sense of ownership and belonging.

I have a season ticket in the North Stand and I live in Leeds, so the trek up for each home game is a long one (I know there are others who travel further!) this may be another reflection of a lack of jobs in the North East I know of many of my school friends who have moved away.

Catering
I think the season ticket price is ok, but am frequently annoyed by the rather amateurish set up we have to endure. I contrast this with the vibrant and innovative small businesses which are all around the ground every match day. This large bustling and buzzing community of small businesses is a credit to the innovative and hardworking north easterner. Once in the ground the shambles begins: appalling quality, unhealthy, poorly served food. What incentives are there to run each of the bars well? Half the bars in the north stand are unmanned. Could franchises or contracts be offered to run these bars efficiently and well? Does the catering give any hint that the club care about the wellbeing of their fans?

Concrete
In addition to this is that our impressive ground is uniformly plain painted breeze block. Would it not be a rather trivial matter to get some of Sunderland's schools involved in decorating these walls, to make it seem that we have some stake in the club? To get us away from the current, institutional expanses of grey and white. Would these school children not think this was brilliant? Would they not be bursting with pride? Might it not encourage them to support their local club?

I'm all for encouraging more fans to attend, but let's meet halfway. If we are not to take the millions invested for granted then I'd like for our fans to be treated with respect as visitors to a shared club, not there as sources of income to have as much money squeezed out of them as possible.

Tom Rogerson
(Dirty) Leeds

Dear ALS

As a season ticket holder who won't be renewing next season due to a re-shifting of priorities, I feel that Niall's outburst last week smacks of the world of football - so far removed from reality.

In a few weeks I'm moving into my own place for the first time with my girlfriend. With bills and rent to pay, I won't be able to afford to put out £400 for a season ticket. I'll still be going to games when I can, but with living in Skipton, a good two hours away, that doubles my expenditure. As I'm also on minimum wage, I'm not going to have much disposable income for the foreseeable future. Does Quinny expect me to spend it all on his club?

Here's an idea: make matchday an experience. Some entertainment? A band on the pitch pre-match or at half time? More important things than a kick about between two girls' under 9's teams? How about fan challenges? They used to go down well. Do something to keep people interested and more importantly in the pitch part of the ground at half time, instead of having that awful part in the first ten minutes of the second half where you can hear a pin drop. Also, make the food worth the price you pay for it, because it’s terrible. At present the football is the only part, and while for diehards and football nuts that’s enough, for the casual fans who used to turn up (who are more than likely the people who aren't any more) they need more.

I'll point to ice hockey as an alternative. I was at a Sheffield Steelers game on Boxing Day. Pre-game, there was an interview with the club's new owner on the ice, during the first period break there was a junior game, and interviews with both team captains and in the second there were two figure skating exhibitions. They kept people rink side, rather than disappearing into the concourse. I've always been entertained at ice hockey, both in and out of game. I find myself turning up later to kickoff at the SoL now, because I’m not missing anything, and at half time try to get on the internet on my phone because I’m not missing anything exciting. This shouldn't happen.

Still keeping the faith though, and it’s not goodbye forever.

Liam McCausland

Dear ALS

What I want to know and no one has said is, is there a drop in spectator numbers at football games nationally or is it just Sunderland?

I know rugby made a big deal out of poor attendances at the recent Autumn internationals were no games sold out in Ireland, Scotland or Wales against the top southern hemisphere teams. I also notice that at the last few games I have been at there is no pre-match or half time entertainment of any sort, I don’t think it’s very important in terms of numbers attending but having attended sports fixtures in America where there is much more than just the game, more of an all-round entertainment experience were supporters are happy to take their families, perhaps Sunderland should be looking at the whole package offered to supporters on match days, certainly the catering facilities are poor and very badly organised.

Get some fat bloke belting out some popular opera before the match and at half time, get the catering sorted out, cheerleaders, marching bands. Do away with this stupid hand shaking nonsense prior to kick off which destroys the atmosphere when the teams run out and shoot the people who leave early causing me to stand up, sit down, stand up, sit down continually during the last 10 minutes of play.

Diarmit Capper

Dear ALS

This is gonna be controversial with the current economic climate, but how much more commitment do Sir Niall and Ellis have to show before we reward them with full houses?

At a time when money is tight for everyone in the region, I can understand the drop in attendances to a certain degree. When you also factor in that it's Xmas time and the recent poor weather, again it's understandable.

However, we now possess in my opinion the most talented squad in my time of supporting the lads, which includes former record signing Darren Bent and current holder Asamoah Gyan.

I think Niall is bang on with what he has said after proving how determined and ambitious he is in taking us this far. I've always believed (until recently) what my Dad told me from being a kid that we've got massive support and when someone gets it right at the club it'll really take off and 48,000 isn't big enough. Is this not the rightest it's ever been? Reidy’s era was great, but we never capitalised, and it would be a tragedy if it happened again. It seems to me that sections of our fans still haven't forgiven the 19 and 15 point seasons.

Realistically we're never going to win the league, but European qualification and cup success is achievable. Is that not infinitely better than yo-yoing up and down?

Another thing that is really bothering me is the lack of any atmosphere at the ground when we're playing anyone outside of the big five and the Mags. We're currently on a fantastic run at home and we should be making the SOL an intimidating cauldron of noise. It seems to me that sections of our crowd only want to criticise the players and boo the referee rather than show total support for the lads.

Yours
Graeme Earle

Dear ALS and fellow Sunderland supporters

I have to agree with some of what Niall says. The big man points out that we need people to turn up, not the people who are struggling, but the people who can afford to go. The ones who are just sitting about drinking in pubs and watching rubbish foreign coverage, shame on you. Or maybe the ones who are going to the Metrocentre shopping or have found something else to do instead. Support your club and it can get even better! It's not just a 90 minute game, when I go it is a social event. I meet up with my mates we all catch up and have a few drinks. Then I have all Saturday evening to spend in the pub.

Maybe we (or the club) need to think of a way of attracting these fans back. How? Not sure, a cup run would lift the spirits further I suppose. About time we had a serious run in the FA Cup I think. No reason to fear anyone, especially at home. Get the excitement going in the stadium. Get the fans out in numbers. Flags, scarves! Once the fans are there it has to be enjoyable. Let’s get Niall back out on his magic carpet and get around the area driving that interest back up. Get out in the city and ask the fans what they want. How can they be encouraged back. The fans are there! 

Having said this however, as people have pointed out, some people just cannot afford it or maybe other reasons why they can't get there, which is fair enough. I think everyone accepts, including Niall, that until the financial situation improves for certain people and families this can't be helped.

My own situation might help to explain other peoples. I had been a season ticket (card) holder for many years, but due to moving away to Manchester (for work) this is the first season without it. I have been back for quite a few games already this season, my two best mates I went with regularly still go and have their season cards. Despite living away I try my best to get to the ground when I can, even though it does cost ! Petrol, ticket etc. Having said this I'm back over the Christmas again for the Blackpool game and then back for the Newcastle game (c'mon Lads we need revenge). 'Supporters' will make the effort if it is within their means.

I guess my point is that I'm sure they're are genuine reasons out there why people can’t make it. Maybe there are other supporters like me who, due to economy, lack of jobs in the area etc, have moved away but maybe they can't as easily get back like I can. 

My parents were both season ticket holders but due to financial reasons just simply cannot afford to go. This hit my Dad hardest, he's been all over the country following Sunderland since a Lad. He loves the club. 

Let’s not forget the times we are living in, there are supporters out there who would love to go, but can't.

Some people are becoming a bit disillusioned with football or footballers. You see these high paid sportsmen and they are acting like spoilt children half the time. But I must say the majority of Sunderland players seem to respect the club, the fans and the area. So I don't think people should tar all players with same brush and use this as an excuse to turn their back on football  

I'll end on my original point. If you can afford to go and are simply choosing not to go, then ask yourself 'are you really a supporter?' To me the answer is NO.

Merry Christmas!
David Lugg

Dear ALS

I have had my season ticket for four years, this season I have been to one home game. I have paid my money and invested in the club, however the reality is that living in London and facing many commitments has simply meant that this season getting to home games has been too hard.

Does it mean that I am not doing my bit pushing the club forwards, I don’t think so. I am lucky enough to be in the financial position that I can keep my season ticket despite not being able to get to as many games, I do it because if we get to a cup final I will get a ticket and it makes getting away tickets far easier. But having a season ticket doesn’t make you any better than someone who doesn’t or indeed someone who at the moment just can’t afford to go to games.

I have read Niall’s points, and he does have a point. If you are prepared to got to the pub and spend money there, shouldn’t you not be giving that money to the club? The point is valid and in fairness he did concede that with the economic climate we are in some people will find it too hard to go to the match. The simple fact is that going to the match is a luxury that when push comes to shove is one of the first things to be cut in hard times.

Our crowds will return to the level they are I am sure, but if the club are looking at this as a serious financial issue alarm bells should be ringing. No matter how the team play, they play for the fans and if the fans are finding forking out to go an issue then the club need to understand this and try to correct the situation.

Nick Colling

Dear ALS

I am now old enough to find travelling to the Stadium Of Light difficult, but I did have a season ticket for a while after the stadium was opened, travelling from Carlisle.

Very quickly after the stadium was opened, many of the matches were sold to Sky TV. This meant that a lot of the matches were played at odd times and mid week. In the row in which I sat were supporters from various parts of the country, the chap next to me was from Birmingham. Most of these people had jobs which meant they could not always attend on these occasions. I could, but evening matches would see me getting home after midnight.

Eventually these travelling supporters began to thin out. Because they were missing several matches each season it meant they were paying more for each match they did attend. This was of course due to the club's desire to maximise their income, at the expense of the regular supporters. Perhaps the club is now paying the price.

George Maddison

Dear ALS

Lovely sentiments from Sir Niall, but what about the up and coming match on New Year’s day with no buses, no Metros, no trains.

Is this match just for car owners? Or do we set off at 6.00am in the morning and walk in so we will arrive on time for kick off? Better still put it in on the following day with Sunday services and everyone still off work and we might get a full house?

Regards
Vincent Mulligan

Dear ALS

How many pubs in or around Sunderland are showing pirate live feeds of home matches?

NQ has mentioned six, but even if there are twice as many, if we have six thousand missing fans, that still means 500 per pub. So unless there are literally hundreds of local pubs engaged in this racket, I think the reason for the drop in attendances must lie elsewhere. Maybe the 15 and 19 point seasons had something to do with it; I suspect that fans lost the will to attend, and have got into the habit of doing something else on Saturday afternoons.

To get the fans back, we need success or the imminent prospect of it. The avoidance of failure, which is all that the club has offered in the last three years, is not sufficient. I can't fault NQ's efforts to raise the profile of the club, and to make it an even bigger part of the community, but what we need now is something to re-ignite the fan's enthusiasm (even those who do attend are quiet compared to the old days). Maybe a good cup run would do the trick.

Michael Moir

Dear ALS

As a Sunderland fan watching this PR mess unfurl I’m really concerned about the noises coming out of the club.

Quinny says that we aren’t turning up in enough numbers and Bruce says that we ‘haven’t got a bottomless pit’. Am I the only one concerned that perhaps both sets of comments are the result of a meeting with Mr Short?

It seems to me almost as though it’s a nervous cover up. Watching Eastenders recently we say Roxy telling all sorts of stories and coming up with all sorts of excuses to avoid revealing her financial struggles. This SAFC debacle rings a few bells.

I wonder if the chairman’s comments yesterday were as a result of panic and uncertainty from the man above him? He has apparently been ringing round the pubs in Sunderland showing games via illegal satellite and complaining that real Sunderland wouldn’t be harming the club in that way. I can’t help but feel that a normally calm and composed man, especially one so in touch with the support would have made those comments in ordinary circumstances.

As for the fall in attendances? Has anyone seen the weather? Sunderland is a small city and a lot of our support comes from outside, have you tried getting anywhere in these conditions? It isn’t easy. I would be a fool however, not to realise that 99% of the drop in attendance is due to an expensive time of year, coupled with a region struggling in a global economic crisis.

If this was a simple attempt to get us back to the SOL in numbers, it would have been handled much more professionally. I smell a rat.

I will however, finish by saying; if you are a fan who can afford to go to the game but instead decides to spend his £25 in the pub on a Saturday afternoon then you need to take a serious look at yourself and perhaps stop considering yourself a supporter. A real supporter supports his team at the ground whenever they can. If not, why not give your ticket to the thousands less fortunate who would love to be there if they could?

Adam Capper
Powburn

Dear ALS

As a season ticket holder, I know Quinny’s drive to get more punters into the Stadium of Light is not aimed at the likes of me, but I feel compelled to respond because, with a baby on the way, I myself may have to wave goodbye to my season ticket at the end of the season.

Now, I love Niall and always will, and I cannot question his commitment in trying to achieve a full SOL on a regular basis, but I do feel that his latest salvo is particularly ill-judged, ill-timed, and poorly-worded.

Yes, the Bolton gate was a low for the season but there were significant mitigating circumstances. The country and people of the North East are going through well-documented tough economic times; Christmas is round the corner; many people have not been paid yet for December (including me); and the game was an early kick off on Sky. I’m afraid Niall can’t have his cake (Sky money) and eat it (expect to fill the ground).

If Niall is disheartened about attendances, perhaps he could cheer himself up if he had a look in the history books. If he did, he would realise SAFC have only exceeded a seasonal average of over 40,000 on twelve occasions and 45,000 three times, so we’re not doing too badly all things considered. If Niall had sold a vision of guaranteed 45,000+ attendances to Ellis Short upon significant investment, perhaps he should have done a bit more research before doing so.

Given the way SAFC are progressing and our home form, there is no logical reason why our crowds are now lower than they were in the first season back in the Premier League (under Keane), other than people not being able to afford it at present. I don’t believe for a second there are 10,000+ SAFC fans out there that used to attend matches and who could comfortably afford to do so again, but are choosing not to.

In the midst of a recession, as people have lost or are in fear of losing their jobs, no way can an average of 38,342 be considered poor in my humble opinion. The club finds itself an unfortunate victim of circumstance; making great strides at a time of both economic austerity and increasing malaise towards the modern game, both of which have affected many long time supporters.

Niall has always shown himself to be a man of the people; a man who understands the people; his people, as he once called them. Please don’t lose sight of the harsh realities of life Niall.

Yours Sincerely
David Marjoram

Dear ALS

FIFA have given the 2018 World Cup to Russia despite the fact that England had the best technical bid, would leave the best legacy and would make the most money for FIFA to distribute to the poorer playing nations of the World for the development of football in those countries. The one thing we failed to do is to pay money to the FIFA Executive officials. How else could we have lost. It is so like the Eurovision song contest voting in almost all respects but mainly bribery, bias and corruption. If they can humiliate our Prime Minister, our future King and our most famous living footballer, then we should take sanctions against them. Sod all this "Well done to the Russians. They deserve it". Bollocks. The only people who will get rich out of this debacle are the FIFAr*&hole Executives and the Russian oligarchs.

First of all, we should run that t*&t Abramovich and that midget t*&t Arshevin out of the country. If they don't go, all football fans should boo them until they go. We don't want people in our country associated with English football clubs who have no interest in English football. Bye bye and good riddance.

We should find out which countries voted against us and stop all aid of any kind going to their countries. We should also stop transmitting Premier League matches to those countries. We should perhaps stop any player from those countries playing in England. They can go and play in the countries they voted for.
I would fund any level of investigation needed by The Sunday Times and Panorama into the FIFA Executives especially the ones that voted against us.

The other sanctions will have to wait till I think a bit more.

Oh, I would also assassinate Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini and all the other French t*&ts working in FIFA, but I would have done that anyway before this shambles.

The only thing that makes me feel any better is that they have awarded the 2022 to a country (it's not even a fu*&ing country) which is smaller than Vanuatu, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Haiti, the Bahamas and the bloody Falkland Islands. It hasn't even got any water. BUT, it's got lots of money to give away to people.

This just shows that they have gone mad, totally barmy.

Why didn't they just tell us at the outset that they were never going to give the World Cup to England in any of our lifetimes because there were another 195 countries before us who paid them more. Why didn't they just save us the time, expense and embarrassment when they knew they were going to kick us out in the first round? Because it's the best chance in ages that they have had to screw us up this badly in front of the whole World. Do you think that Fanny Blatter and Platini are not raising a glass of champagne now as they laugh at what they've achieved.

They told Putin in advance that Russia had won. Why else would he have saved his valuable time by staying in Russia. It wasn't even mentioned in the Russian newspapers on the morning of ghe decision. One day, perhaps we will sort out these gangsters and fraudsters in FIFA, pay them what they want and then just sit back in the knowledge that everyone else can run around like blue-arsed flies but have no chance of success.

I really am quite annoyed about how 23 corrupt nobodies can shatter the dreams of a great country like ours. We must wreak revenge.

Mick Coombs

Dear ALS

I am sitting watching Sky Sports News as the shocking announcement of the 2018 World Cup comes through. Over the past 18 months I’ve watched as England’s representatives put together one of the best bids I have ever seen. I watched with pride as Niall Quinn spoke passionately about the work and developments, and how this decision can put Sunderland on the map. Which means that I am genuinely gutted about the result, not just for my beloved city, but for the whole country. Watching our presentation, I really don't think any other bid there topped ours.

Shortly after the results were announced, Gary Lineker confirmed that England were knocked out in first round of voting, it was later confirmed that England received only a paltry two votes. That tells you everything you need to know about FIFA. A comment made by Sepp Blatter after presentation sticks in my mind, he said England made a “remarkable” bid. Remarkable. In any other circumstance would you expect a remarkable bid to finish last place, with only two votes? No. Of course you wouldn’t.

Following the announcement on Twitter, many, and I mean many, were quick to accuse the recent BBC Panorama documentary of destroying our bids chances. This attitude is something that disappointed me. The alleged corruption within FIFA is something we’re all clearly very aware of and it’s evident that the winners were tied up long before that show was even broadcast. Today's decision has only proved every accusation in that show was based in at least some truth. I, for one, am pleased we were the country that stood up to the corruption, instead of sweeping it under the carpet and pandering to FIFA. I would have been extremely proud to see the World Cup here, but not under this FIFA. It's just a damn shame that FIFA would rather hide their corrupt behaviour instead of confronting it and doing something about it.

George Shaw

Dear ALS

The huge disappointment felt throughout the country, with England failing miserably in their 2018 World cup bid was enormous. It really stinks of corruption yet again by the oh so clean FIFA gang of unscrupulous officials!

Though I think that BBC’s Panorama was completely right to expose those officials who have allegedly been taking big back handers, I think they and the Sunday Times could have waited for the result of the decision whether England had won their World Cup bid!

England have suffered a huge backlash from the alleged accusations of corruptness. It was obviously clear that the investigations were used as ammunition by both Russian Prime minister Vladimir Putin and Spain/Portugal bid President Angel Villar Llona in their final presentations to FIFA members. The final insult coming England’s way was when FIFA finally put the boot into England, announcing that Qatar hold the 2022 World Cup! A country whose women are second class citizens, meaning no women at the football, no alcohol, and 50 centigrade boiling hot temperatures for the players to endure! It was quite clear that England didn’t have a cat in Hell’s chance of getting any World Cup in the next thirty years, as long as Blatter and his cronies are alive! FIFA would rather give it to Mars than give it to England. We could have sent the whole Royal family and a platoon of Chelsea pensioners to plead our case, and they would have still laughed in our faces!

Whilst I am on my soap box, the FA needs to focus on sorting out the game in this country. High ticket prices need sorting out, all admission prices to be capped. Falling attendances need to be addressed. Give the game back to the working class who helped establish it many decades ago. The financial mismanagement of clubs needs to be sorted. The exploitation of fans through multiple replica kit changes every year. Dodgy agents, who are bleeding the game dry, like leeches. With yet again the fans having to pay money into their pockets, every price hike.

Grass roots facilities for local teams, youth development, and coaching programmes all need to be sorted. Lastly our good old national team need to be sorted big time, our last World Cup humiliation still lingers in the memory like some horror show.

Yours faithfully
Clive Lee

Dear ALS

I now wonder if in the aftermath of the World Cup vote fiasco we will see a revolt on a par with the early 90s in England?

I refer to the formation of the English Premier League after top clubs became fed up with the Football Association and formed a breakaway league to cash in on monetary benefits from TV rights.

It would be interesting to see how many countries are fed up with the autocratic leadership of Blatter coming immediately after the megalomaniac Joao Havalange being in charge for 24 years with all the accusations of corruption that surrounded him.

Some people must be wondering what the bidding process was all about. How could two countries with the worst technical bids be awarded the prize? What was the point of the technical presentation and its millions of pounds worth of costs?

Neither Russia nor Qatar have even a fraction of the necessary stadia. In fact Qatar have promised air conditioned stadia to appease worries of the heat. How can they do that? My technical knowledge is of moderate level but even I know that would mean indoor stadiums. Football of the 11-a-side variety is not played indoors, whether air conditioned or not.

Blatter has made no secret of his preference of choice for bidding countries since his coronation. Germany 2006, S Africa 2010, Brazil 2014 and lately Russia 2018 are well documented as his choices and I suspect Arab money and promises swayed his decision to back Qatar 2022.

I have no problem with countries that have never hosted a WC being chosen but it's why and the process involved that makes me puke with resentment.

In its present form the Executive Committee consists of men, who govern football and have enormous influence on worldwide decisions, in football hotbeds such as Tahiti, Cameroon, Trinidad, S. Korea, Cyprus, Qatar and Guatemala.

I do not claim that we have any God given right to be a major player but add together the players and clubs associated with those countries and you might find they amount to the equivalent of a decent county FA organisation.

I await either a competent investigative reporter or an International football leader to come out and lead the revolution to take back the game for the benefit of fans and not the commercial paymasters who only see balance sheets. This last statement may be a contradiction to why the EPL was formed but if fans benefit then the game wins. Instead of either a European or World tourney every two years we could even see the reformation of the end of season Home Nations Tournement, something England might even win.

Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS
 
It seems Brucie has seen fit to use a bit of common sense.
 
Prior to the Wolves game I was telling my SAFC mates that Hendo has lost some of his sparkle since his England debut. I wasn't suggesting the big man syndrome that affects players after they get a call up but his usual ball to feet or defence splitting pass was missing from the Everton match.
 
Sadly it cost us a goal on Saturday when he laid a five yard pass to Catts, which could have been described as a hospital ball, who was not expecting it as he was tightly marked. It was quickly whipped away from Catts and Wolves went 1-0 up. This is not a sleight on Henderson just an observation and I'm sure missing a couple of games will do him good. Bruce has now decided to give him a rest and good on him. We need fit and hungry players for these matches where we are favourite even away from home.
 
Bardsley was called upon in time of need and rose to the occasion. That's the type of player we want. Let's have a few more of those and I can see David Meyler returning before Xmas even if it's only from the bench and doing a similar job.

Saturday was a result we didn't need but bearing in mind we are in the same position as this time last season, hopefully we will pick up 20 more points from the next 14 or so games, rather than the 6 or so we accumulated last winter and early spring, leaving us with a decent platform to finish the season on a high and a potential top 7 placing and a possible Euro place.
 
Keep the Faith
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

We need to stop looking back about the nightmare of Sid James Park and whether we play a 4-4-2, 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 formation. We now have one of the most exciting squad of players I have known at the club for a very long time, with the exception of Ferdinand who I think is just complete dog poo and we are flying high with nobody to fear. If we can sustain this and keep hold of some of the loan signings, sign a few more quality players the future looks bright for SAFC.

Born in Seaburn and now living in Ipshit, Suffolk, The Sunderland connection down here is good although Roy is getting hammered by the locals and he won’t be here to long, I managed to bump into Grant a few days ago getting out of his Range Rover and shout "Alreet, The lads are doing well aren’t they?" He looked up and said "Aye" in a glum way. I wish he could have stayed with us. Keep smiling Mackems on paper the next three games we should pick up a good level of points, and why can’t we look forward and try to get into Europe.

Let the black and whites up the road have their moment, I am just about over it now. But to finish

SAFC have a better squad of players than the Scum. (Apart from Ferdinand)
SAFC have Short they have Ashley... fat idiot
SAFC have a better youth and development set up
SAFC have a better stadium
SAFC have one of the country’s best women's teams
SAFC don’t have their players in the news for their off the field antics like to Mags (Apart from Ferdinand)
SAFC do have the best fans in the country... by far
SAFC have us, the faithful followers through thick and thin
SAFC have won more silverware than them
Sunderland women are more beautiful than Newcastle tarts

Bored now, we are and always have been better than the skunks and to end up, someone needs to tell BBC Sports, MOTD, SKY Sports that there is another City in the north east apart from those inbreds up the road

Oh happy days
FTM....
Chris Winter
The Suffolk Mackem

Dear ALS

Now I don't want to wee wee on anyone's bonfire but the Chelsea win appeared at first glance to vindicate those supporters who have argued for some time that we should go with a 4-4-2 formation even though 4-5-1 has stood us in good stead in a number of games. So who was right? Bruce has said that he thought 'Sod it, let’s go for it' before the game at Stamford Bridge. Whilst there is no doubt that we dominated large parts of the game, played very good football and were unrecognisable as the team that capitulated so tamely against the barcodes, I'd like to suggest that the result wasn't just down to our formation but was actually due to a combination of factors.

Some scientists have tried to apply formulae to things which are largely unfathomable e.g. what women look for in men. In Kate Middleton's case that's easy - an average looking 'Rupert' with loads of dosh. What this tells us is that the boffins really needn't have bothered. However in the case of the beautiful game I would like to suggest that success of your team depends on the following factors (also known as 'variables'):-

1. The quality of your players (i.e. how good they are in their respective positions)
2. The strength/depth of your squad
3. How your players perform as a collective unit (team spirit and commitment)
4. Your formation
5. All of the above but for the opposition instead
6. Agent X (which could be luck, the crowd, the ref, the beachball, the weather etc.)

All of these have an effect to a greater or lesser extent in each game. So, whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 isn't the 'be all or the end all' in the final analysis. In my humble opinion Chelsea helped us by playing only 3 in midfield because their front 3 didn't get back much (unlike our front 2). Who knows what would have happened if they had matched us in the middle of the park or even gone 4-5-1 themselves? Watching the replays and analysis however on Sky tv, it was a joy to see the number of red & white shirts getting forward and supporting the attack and frequently outnumbering the opposition. And as for a full back having the temerity to take on virtually the whole of the league leaders defence on his own? Well what can you say?

Bruce appears to be learning quickly that you have to be flexible - the way he changed things in the second half at White Hart Lane and being willing to dispense with 4-5-1 if its not working. Clearly what the opposition is doing is highly relevant as well. All the things which were right against Chelsea were completely wrong 2 weeks prior to that.

I'm sure Bruce will revert to 4-5-1 again when he feels circumstances demand it. Let us hope that, with our squad, we have enough decent players to play whatever system is required but that item 3 above is never so lacking again as it was on October 31st. I don't think any formation would have worked on that day because just about all the other factors were against us. It was however very satisfying to see what happens when they all come together in our favour.

Ged Blakeborough

Dear ALS

The team which didn’t turn up turned up. Fair enough.

The best performance I have seen the lads play, nearly as good as 1973. What makes it sweeter is that I am surrounded by Chelsea fans. Not a gracious word passed their lips, they saw it as a fluke or that Chelsea were under strength.

Interestingly Ancelotti didn’t have any excuse, just goes to show you that the mafia retain a brutal honesty.

Semper Fidelis

Dear ALS
 
No need for me to add to all the superlatives written about our performance on Sunday.
 
I would however like to comment about a story in the media today. Adam Johnson has been saying he may need to leave Eastlands to get regular football. Oh my Adam! Has that revelation come as a surprise?

Any SAFC fan could have told you that last January, especially as you could have been part of a historic demolition of the EPL champions last Sunday. Well when I say you could have been, you'd have had to be better than the lads who played, so maybe you'd have been sat on the bench again.

You should have taken advice from someone who knows football rather than account sheets. You should have known Eastlands paymasters only want mega European stars and not decent English players, who play for fun and enjoyment rather than fat pay cheques.

Your loss mate, just as your old team mate Downing has found out at Villa Park when he and you could have been part of the SOL revolution. Oh well, you live and learn. Or not in your case. You watch the agents beating Quinny's door down now with their clients wanting telephone number length wages.

Tell them to piss off Quinny.

FTM
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

I don't think anyone saw that coming. A phrase I also used a couple of weeks ago this time however it's under much better circumstances. What a performance from one end of the field to the other, so good in fact the Daily Fail choose the entire 11 in their team of the week. Considering under Bruce our away form had been an absolute shambles, add Chelsea's form at home where they hadn't lost in eight months and had conceded in nine matches, the result seems like a miracle. When I saw the Chelsea team, in particularly Paulo Ferreira at centre back, I did wonder whether we might just be able to get a point. However I did not imagine one, all our players would play some of the best football of their careers and two that Chelsea would play so poorly.

Our passing which is usually quite slow and sloppy was crisp and precise, no more was this evident than the 2 nd goal, which Gyan finished beautifully. Welbeck produced a hell of a performance up front. He harried Chelsea every time they had possession and could have had a hat-trick if not for Petr Cech. If he produces performances like that week in week out we should try our utmost to try and sign him permanently. Gyan continues to be a revelation every time he gets the ball; I think something is going to happen. He is riding a crest of a wave and his confidence is really high at the moment hopefully he will able to keep banging the goals in as with him and Bent we have one of the best striking partnerships in the League if not Europe.

Henderson now an England international, how often can you say that about a Sunderland player, was brilliant and unlike Mags game he made his presence felt and capped his great weekend off with an assist. Now he needs to push on and make himself the dynamo of the team in the middle of the park and perhaps chip in with a few goals as well. Cattermole had his best game of the season. What he did in this game which has been lacking in the others was he controlled his aggression; he didn't dive unless he knew he could win the ball and produced a real captains' performance. Zenden was the experienced head we needed in a game like that, such a shame his dance moves aren't up to scratch. Richardson went quietly about his business but produced one of the best defensive displays I've seen from him. Although he was playing on the right wing he was put there to track Cashley Cole, who didn't get a kick going forward. When he did get a kick he hit it straight to one of our players six yards from their goal, when under pressure from Richardson in the 87 th minute. Well played Kieran.

A clean sheet is always a bonus, but when that clean sheet comes against Chelsea a side that have scored 39 goals in their last 10 home games, it's made a little bit sweeter. Turner handled Drogba who supposedly had 'Malaria' or man flu as I like to call it, brilliantly and was unlucky to receive a yellow card off the ref who was desperately trying to keep Chelsea in the game. Bramble was again superb as was Hamish McBardsley, both of these had questions mark over their heads at the start of the season and it's good to see that they have proved all the doubters wrong. Gordon was solid between the sticks, although Mignolet played extremely well during his tenure in goal, it makes a big difference to have £9m worth of keeper protecting the net.

Finally, Nedum Onuoha, what a goal that was. Shades of Eric Roy 10 years when he danced through the Chelsea backline at the SOL. When he got the ball, my first thought was don't shoot. He didn't he then produced one of the most skilful passages of play ever attempted by a Sunderland player and although the finish was a little scruffy they all count don't they.

Although many fans will wish our first away win came two weeks earlier.

I'm sure most fans will appreciate that this win can start our season and perhaps our push towards Europe. As if you can beat the Champions in their own back yard you can beat anyone.

Simon Sinclair

Dear ALS

Brucie and the boys took a lot of stick and rightly so after the nightmare on Sid James St.

But we haven't looked back since with a hard-earned win over Stoke and a top-notch point at high-flying Spurs. But Sunday's stunning 3-0 humiliation of moneybags Chelski in their own backyard was the icing on the mother of all cakes.

The most complete and clinical away performance I've ever seen by a Sunderland side and surely one of our best displays anywhere since the war. Credit to much-maligned Bruce, no-one from 'tactical masterminds' Arsene Wenger to Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho could have set us up better.

He got his tactics and team shape spot on and exploited their weaknesses brilliantly while everyone from Gordon through to Gyan played their part to perfection.

Any Mackems who'd crowed about thrashing the league leaders 3-0 at the Bridge before the match would have been hurried away and locked up for their own good.

Our back four were as tight as a badger's wotsit, Henderson and Cattermole were all over them like a rash, Richardson put Cashley Cole in his pocket and Gyan and Welbeck were world class up front.

And Nedum Onuoha sparked the goal rush with a legendary strike Johan Cruyff would have been proud of!

Now let's kick on against Everton and use this magnificent win as a launch pad to carve out our best season ever in the Premier League.

Keep the red flag flying high!
Red Williams,
Market Harborough

Dear ALS

I said after the Mags defeat that we will still finish above them and the reason was we have a far better squad, they had 11 fighters and warriors out there on Halloween and they wanted it more on the day, 7 or 8 of the SAFC lads went missing(with the help of the odd elbow) but since then when the Mags have 1 or 2 out with injury or suspension (Barton should have had six months not 3 games) and they have nobody with quality to fill the voids and seem to struggle especially at home

However we have probably 2 players for most positions, just look at our bench in the last 4/5 games. The formation of a 4.4.2 helps as this can become a 4.3.3 or even 4.2.4 when attacking and a 4.5.1 when defending, what we have to do is be more flexible.

I think Steve Bruce is doing this now. We heard after the great display at Chelsea the southern press saying they were missing Terry Lampard and Essien and Drogba had Malaria(if so he would not be able to walk), so what we were missing two of our best players in Bent and Mensah and had Ferdinand and Campbell missing but that was not mentioned, again a compliment to Steve Bruce’s strength in depth.

The display at Chelsea has now given us the confidence (and helped to dampen the defeat to the Mags) to go anywhere and match them for both effort and skill, what we must not do is get carried away with the recent revival they have to look at every game as a cup game and give it everything as they did at the Bridge.

Everton could look easier on paper but we will really have to be at it from the off as they have the experience and know how with the Cahills etc to snatch the points, let’s get behind the lads on Monday and roar them on to hopefully another three points.

Keep it going
Rob G

Dear ALS

I am a lucky man, being 3000 miles away, with no TV or phone on Halloween, so can calmly dismiss that day and be a Hammerin’ Denier.

I was lucky enough to be in the posh seats at White Hart Lane (it’s who you know) to witness the rebirth of one of the most exciting Sunderland squads I can remember.

After that second half I thought “hang on a minute, Spurs played brilliant, exciting football and we matched them.” I then thought that we might get away with only 1 or 2-0 against Chelski.

Watching it on Sky, (well I could have got a seat in their end on my own but thought better of it) I was nervous for 40 minutes then suddenly elevated into a Sunderland Wonderland.

The football world is now talking Sunderland, whilst analysing Chelsea’s failing in great detail; we are now seriously on the southern media’s radar.

I actually quite like this feeling, so please keep it up lads, no pressure.  

I have kept the faith and been duly rewarded.

Phil Whelan

Dear ALS

I live in Newcastle and have worked there for many years but have loyally supported SAFC since mid 70s (the glory days?)

I have taken a truck load of stick over the years for this. However, after the last week I feel that in the Zen spirit of “less is more” I can’t refrain from observing that Sunderland are a bunch of C+++s for such a shallow pretence of football.

It’s hard to think what they could do to restore my loyalty to them perhaps winning the cup? I suspect none of them know how much or what they owe us all after last week. They could start by making the players give ALS an interview without press agents and the like, to explain why they were so disinterested and where they left their motivation at the most important match of the season. Oh and another thing get Andy Reid back pronto. At least he has guile and can unpick congested midfields

Pah!!
David Harrop

Dear ALS

I've heard the apologies, I've heard that the management and players have had a bad week (bless em) I've heard that if we beat Stoke we will be back on track. Well guess what I've had a bad week listening the Scum celebrate / gloat and one good result against Stoke or even a good season is not going to put it right.

I still see blokes at the SOL with Rowell 4-1 on their shirts and that was 1979 Last week has just been written into Scum folklore and nothing short term is going to put that right except maybe beating them 6-0 in the return - and is that going to happen? I have more chance of winning the EuroMillions Jackpot tonight.

I still have my doubts about Bruce but I blame the players. They get 10's of £K per week to do a job - they didn't do it. If it’s the pub team and they have a bad day then fine, they play for the love of the game and personal pride. If it's a paid professional and they have a bad day that's a different story.

What if a surgeon says sorry had a bad day today I cut the wrong leg off. Or after the Take That concert at the SOL they say sorry it was a shit concert but we forgot the words. Doesn't wash! The players are fine, they have enough cash to be isolated from the real world. No comeback on them, they just turn up for training again and it's all put behind them. Some of them - like that liability Cattermole - should never wear the strip again, but they will.

Let’s hope they turn up for the Stoke game with a bit of fire in their bellies but after last week I have turned into Mr Negative and I have a horrible feeling they are just not going to turn up (again!!)

LittlePhil

Dear ALS

The derby game was a shocking result and people will say that the content of this letter are just sour grapes or grasping at straws but I believe that the performance of Phil Dowd as referee did have a significant impact on the game and one that has been lost in the understandable reaction to the embarrassing events that later transpired.

Watching the game I distinctly heard the co-commentator Mark Bright state that the referee was "having a shocker!" so I know that it wasn't just my father and I sat at home (both screaming at the TV) who thought Mr Dowd was caught up in the atmosphere at the Sports Direct.com. We weren't too bad for the first 20 mins but were gradually outmuscled by the Mags and the following decisions, I believe, had an impact:-

1. Elmo absolutely clattered from behind was at least a yellow and probably a red even without the leading elbow from Collocini. He disappeared from the game after that.

2. Steed and Onuoha both booked for perfectly good tackles that didn't even need a TV replay to prove there was nothing wrong with them. Both disappeared from the game after that (although Onuoha did return to give a penalty away). Neither yellow came anywhere near the earlier yellows issued to Mag players. Dowd's "even-ing up" of the situation immediately took the pressure off the Skunks who could easily have had more players booked.

3. Nolan's second goal was clearly offside the moment Ameobi moved anywhere near Turner (useless by the way and must be dropped). That goal killed the game for me before the mad penalty. The heads went down and were never seen again.

4. Lastly (and admittedly the game was gone by this point), Enrique pushed Cattermole in the chest with two hands and the referee ignored it. Now had that been the other way about, well...

So, yes we were physically inept in my opinion, Welbeck obviously needs a visit to Specsavers, Bruce needs to get hold of a coaching manual just so he realises that other formations do exist and Turner needs to... well I don't believe anything can help there!

A lot more passion as shown by Mensah and Bardsley (who by the way dropped off and left Nolan unmarked for both his 1st and 3rd goals despite an otherwise good performance!) is required. However, at this moment we still sit in twelth place (not a relegation spot - yet!) and have lost just twice this season having played Man C, Arsenal, Man U and Liverpool, all of whom are still playing in European competition at the moment. We can move back to our rightful position above the Mags on Saturday with a win against Stoke and therefore it is vital we all get behind the players and the club straight away.

We have definitely played worse in the past (just not against our bitterest rivals!) and these are not the darkest days many seem to believe. Just think 15 point season or think Gillingham at home (and numerous other experiences in the life of a Sunderland fan) and then perhaps we can get a certain sense of reality back.

Keep The Faith and FTM
Andy Mavin
Scotland


Dear ALS

I had the misfortune to be at Sid James' Park on Sunday to witness our capitulation against the Mags. Depressingly I was in with the home supporters who took the opportunity to wallow in the glow of a job well and truly done.

I do think a few clarifications need to be made, not excuses though, just points to put the result/performance in context. Firstly, the atmosphere was ferocious. I was at the SOL when Rico smashed in his free-kick to give the lads a deserved 2-1 win; SJP was by far a louder, more partisan crowd than that day. From almost the first whistle to the last. Yes, some of the players didn't look like they believed a result could be had once the first goal went in but not many (if any) have played in a game carrying such pressure before.

To my mind only Phil Bardsley, Mensah, Rico and Gyan when they arrived, and the attacking threat (but not defensive contribution) the Egyptian Beckham carried, came close to leaving the game with any credit. Hey, it happens. People react under pressure in a variety of ways. People will cite the fact that these players earn very decent money and should be able to cope. It is difficult to foresee how any one individual will react, regardless of their perceived personal qualities in day-to-day life.

Let's not lose sight of the fact that this squad have produced some very creditable performances against better, but perhaps less passionate, teams. Once the penalty went in it was all over as a contest. People have said that Steve Bruce didn't react tactically as the world fell around his ears. Well, he brought 'Beckham' off on 40 mins and I thought keeping a substitute back to rescue Catts, who was a nailed on cert to walk before the 90 were up, was incredibly prescient.

Let’s not kid ourselves; Newcastle wanted it more, plain and simple. On the day we were beaten by a better team. No complaints with the result or the score line. It isn't the end of the season. We are building a very good team with a good balance of youth and experience. 20/20 hindsight is all well and good but just chalk this one down to experience. Yes, mime your displeasure before the Stoke match on Saturday (an arms folded silent protest as they run out should do the trick), but then get behind them. What else would you do? Join the Mags?

Chris Jones
Oxfordshire

Dear ALS

After having a full day to calm down, I feel that anything I have to say about the match on Sunday will be well thought out, fair and not tainted by raw emotion.

My first point: AAAAARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Ahem... The first thing that I want to get out the way is that calling for the head of the manager is not the way to go here. We’ve already just been destroyed by the great unwashed, the last thing we need to do is stoop to their mentality. Yes, Bruce got his tactics well and truly, epically, disastrously wrong. The young lads have done a decent job so far this season, with little flashes that just gave me and many others of what looked like a side very capable of popping into a cheeky European slot, but only 1 or 2 of those in the squad have played in a game that is even anywhere near as intense pressure as a Wear/Tyne derby (yes, it does look better that way round).

Zenden, Mensah, Riveros and Richardson should have been on the pitch from the start as seasoned professionals, World Cup Quarter Finalists and one of our 2 or 3 players who have actually played in this derby before (and we all know what happened the last time Rico played in a derby...).

The 4-5-1 formation... Obviously this wasn’t the way to go, but I have the magical power of hindsight! What people are forgetting is that this formation is what got us points against some top teams (and Liverpool), where not only did we stifle their attacks, but play some pretty attractive, attacking football ourselves. But this is the difference, Man U, Arsenal, Man City will let you play football as it plays to their strengths too, whereas Newcastle were clearly not going to just let us pass the ball around. This game needed a team of hard working, level headed men, not a lot of (albeit promising, don’t get me wrong) young lads more or less at the beginning of their Premier League careers as first-team starters.

Anyway, all I actually wanted to say was that we mustn’t dwell on this too much, hope that the lads have learned a valuable lesson in how to not lose your bottle, pick themselves up and start to actually take some of the lovely chances we have been creating. Let’s get Gyan gyanning (sorry...), Riveros playing, Mensah starting and enjoy finishing above the Mags in a comfortable top half position.

Keep the faith
FTM
Tommy
Chester-le-Street

Dear Mr Quinn

You say that you and the owner have been reflecting on events and that the solution lies within the dressing room. If you look at the manager’s reaction you will understand that the dressing room is the last place to look for a solution. As usual, everybody else is to blame; no mention of his own tactical shortcomings and selections, as well as his cautious negativity, which have de-motivated a potentially strong squad. No mention of his inability to think during a game and react tactically when things are not going as planned.

Get rid of him, Mr. Quinn, and give the fans a positive thinking, top half of the table manager. You must have Martin O’Neill’s phone number somewhere alongside other enthusiastic, tactically aware young managers who would love to work with this squad in the Premier League.

Brian C

Dear ALS

Sadly I know supporting Sunderland must be the equivalent of masochism- the lows of being a Sunderland fan have been absolute rock bottom (remember the 15 point season?) Shockingly we played with more spirit and passion during that season at Sid James's Park when we lost 3-2 despite Stephen Elliott hitting the bar and the lads providing a performance that was full of determination and commitment regardless of the result.

Looking at our squad for that match it was far worse than the side we put out today! Our tactics were clearly flawed. Why didn't Zeneden, Mensah, Riveros and Gyan start in a 4-4-2? We needed experience and class. Ignoring the result it was embarrassing that we started with such a defensive formation (4-5-1!) against a side we were apparent favourites against! As a reminder, Geordie Bruce signed Gyan, Bent, Riveros and Mensah and has given Hendo his chances, it is easy to blame him for being a Geordie but the squad we put out should have done far better even if it wasn't our strongest.

Despite everything I will support the team in the next game as, regardless of the team we put forward, I am Sunderland till I die, I'll never stop supporting the lads, the Scum might give up on their team but I never will.

I can only hope/pray we beat Stoke convincingly next game and that Bent and Gyan start up front. I could complain further but fans who paid to watch that shit performance can put it better than me; by the way they definitely need to be reimbursed! Ultimately, all I want to say is we are better than this and we have been let down but to avoid further damage we have to get behind the team; the Scum down the road might given up on their team- but we are better than that.

Sunderland 'Till I Die
Fuck the Mags
Keep the Faith
Matt

Dear ALS

I am consoled with the fact that Sunderland AFC were not represented at SJP, some tossers turned up and embarrassed themselves.

Only the supporters are real.

Keep the Faith
Semper Fidelis

Dear ALS

I don't think I need to add much to what has already been said in all the letters that have been sent in. They all sum up yesterday very accurately.

I will add this though.

SAFC's over paid players must at the very least contribute to refunding the money to all the fans who went to Sid James yesterday and buy everyone at least a pint and a pie who turns up to watch their sorry backsides against Stoke on Saturday.

This will not heal our wounds, but it would be an acknowledgment and a gesture that we fans are appreciated. Call me cynical, but I bet at least half the players went home and played on their play stations without a care in the world last night!

Keep the faith
We will recover
Every dog has its day
Phil

Dear ALS

If there was one saving grace from the Sunday’s disastrous capitulation at sportsdirect@St. James’ Park it’s that I saved £42 by not actually putting myself through sitting in the ground and watching Newcastle tear through what appeared to be an appallingly unprepared Sunderland side. Seeing as I didn’t have that £42 in the first place, it’s hardly a consolation. So much was wrong with Sunday afternoon that reflecting upon it in these words almost seems sadistic. Before the match, looking at our team on paper you’d think that there was no way we could go leave this game as humiliated as we did. Frustratingly, for the first time in my years of supporting Sunderland, and like many others, I actually believed that we were going into the derby the stronger of the two sides. A solid defence, a creative midfield and a strike force valued at near £30 million, one of whom had just been nominated for the Ballon d’or. It seemed to me that leaving St James’ Park without at least point was extremely unlikely.

Of course as the old saying goes, football isn’t played on paper. It’s played on grass, and it’s there where Steve Bruce, it seems, got it horrifically wrong. Picking players on form over ability was a poor start, although Bardsley is one of the few who can look himself in the mirror after that performance, we looked slow and unable to cope with Newcastle's midfield as Barton and Nolan ran us ragged. Elmo was poor, Steed disappeared, Bent was left isolated, and feeding off scraps again as nobody in a Sunderland shirt seemed to care.

Just a few short weeks ago I wrote about how excited by Sunderland I was. How results against the big teams in the league showed our progress, showed how much we moved on, showed where we were at now and were we can go. I should’ve known I could have relied on SAFC to put a damper on any aspirations I may have had. In that article, I commented how in order for us to complete any transformation we would have to ditch the dark cloud which seems to follow us whenever we venture away from our home. I had hoped this was the occasion where we’d finally step up on our travels. The one thing I heard time and time again in the build up to kick off was another horrid cliché that in derby games “form goes out of the window.” Sadly our boys seemed intent on destroying that turn of phrase once and for all, as we continued our absolutely dismal away record.

Out of the whole debacle, the one thing that disappointed, depressed almost, me most was how quick I was to accept the defeat. As soon as the third goal went in I knew the game was over. By the fourth goal I’d turned the game off and managed to put it to the back of my head. So I was left asking myself, why don’t I care more? I was expecting to be gutted if we had lost, but that defeat was so emphatic, so near comical, that I was left feeling nothing. Right now, I can only feel sympathy for every one of the two thousand and odd Sunderland fans who braved the trip there and back. All that’s left to say is congratulations Newcastle, you deserved it.

George Shaw

Dear ALS

At 2.15 yesterday afternoon, I'd used so many expletives, I had to phone the Tourette Society for another f******g batch.

At 2.15 this morning, I awoke in a cold sweat. How long is this latest nightmare going to remain in the memory? Thank God it's Ellis Short's money at stake and not mine. 

5-1 and it could easily have been more. Every time the crosses were curled perfectly in from the wings, it looked like they could score. Yesterday must surely be Bruce's epiphany as a football manager. Playing 4-5-1 reflects his fear of failure rather than aspiration to win games, with the kind of flowing football which the Mags turned on in style.

It's been obvious for weeks that we lack width. Our ability to create anything out of dead ball situations is almost zero. Service to the lone forward is slow and scrappy. The midfield can't seem to shoot anywhere near the target let alone be capable of bagging a hat-trick.

When on our bench sit the UK's most expensive goalie, several World Cup quarter finalists, a full England international, the FIFA-acclaimed club record signing plus probably the most gifted midfield player at the club, you've got to wonder what's so special about the 11 who regularly take the field?

Yesterday's result will now define our season and I pray that the traditional mid-season slump hasn't arrived early this year.

Len Shackleton's Love Child

Dear ALS

I didn't think I could've felt more embarrassed and humiliated since walking out of the 7-1 drubbing away at Everton back in 2007, oh, how wrong I was. That was the shittest Sunderland display I've ever witnessed and I've seen some shit in my time. So please Mr Quinn, can I have my 42 quid back?

We were an absolute disgrace from start to finish. To get beat of the Scum is unbearable at the best of times, but to concede five and for us to show no passion or desire in a game that means so much to us fans makes that pill even harder to swallow. We deserved to lose and it probably should've been by a greater margin.

I arrived at the Jeremy Kyle holding pen that is Sid James' park with about 10 minutes before kick-off and I felt slightly optimistic thinking we could get a decent result, but after climbing 666666 stairs to get to my seat, my optimism slowly faded away as that smug Geordie git read out the teams.

We were playing 4-5-1 again. Steve Bruce reckons it works and we create more chances but I don't like it. The problem with the 4-5-1 system is that it offers us no width and looks like we couldn't score in a brothel. Yes, it works against the Arsenal's and Man United's of this world when we swamp the midfield and are not really expected to get a result. However, it hasn't worked against the teams we should be beating and Newcastle are one of those teams. Bruce should have realised by now you need to score goals to win matches and with the 4-5-1 we haven't been, so why the fuck are we continuing with this formation when we've got £13m of Ghanaian talent on the bench?

And so the torture began. We weren't up for the fight and Joey Barton and Kevin Nolan made our midfield look like a bunch of twats. The five of them looked like a bundle of spineless, gutless, pathetic, useless dicks that weren't fit to wear the shirt.

Our back five was just as terrible. Bramble and Turner couldn't handle Carroll and Shola and they were to be made to look like world-beaters. Mignolet for the first time looked dodgy and Onuoha made that Argie ponce Gutierrez look dangerous. Only Bardsley showed any real passion and emerged with any credit.

As the first went in the typical Sunderland returned – our arses fell out and the floodgates came crashing open.

By half-time we were three down and it was game over. I wished I'd have left there and then and to make matters worse the burger I bought at halftime tasted like shit. I didn't think it could get any worse, but I was wrong.

Unfortunately, every Sunderland fan knew something like this would happen, and surprise surprise it fucking did. Bramble would go and do something stupid. So when that bellend Carroll was through on goal, the Titan did what all the Sunderland fans and most 17-year-old girls in Newcastle wanted to do and that was flatten the long-hairy twat. And so he did. So much so he was sent off and our misery was compounded. I only wished he'd have put the dick out for the season, it would've made me smile ever so slightly.

So we were three down to that lot with 10 men. Fucking marvellous. So why on earth did we persist with playing the long ball game with one up top? It didn't work when we had 11 never mind when we had 10.

I'm not one for leaving games early, but when you see Kevin Nolan dancing around like a chicken and your five nil down you know it's time to leave. I have never been so ashamed and depressed after watching Sunderland.

To conclude I must say that was the worst performance I've witnessed. After all the hype and expectation, the players and management screwed us over. Not one of them can emerge with credit and they need to buck their ideas up. The players need to stop taking the piss and realise what's at stake. Bruce needs to pull his finger out of his arse and stop playing the wrong formation and get rid of the driftwood that still surrounds our team. Talk is cheap and I don’t want to hear any more apologies.

I hear Bruce is a big mate of Chris Evans and his mate got it spot on this morning. He said today is the most depressing day of the year. He's fucking spot on.

Chris Glancey

Dear ALS

Both Bruce and Turner have acknowledged players being 'over-awed' by the occasion. May I offer other euphemisms such as 'under-prepared', and 'unprofessional'? Kevin Ball must have felt sick watching the current captain Cattermole running around like a semi-house trained pole-cat, missing tackles, passing sideways to nowhere opportunities and generally looking like a spoilt toddler not having the initiative to make things go his own way. Had he not been withdrawn, his third red card would have followed.

I personally offer to drive Turner back to Hull if the fixtures in this division are too 'big' for him. His 'rabbit in the head-lights' performance had Kevin Kilbane written all over it: embarrassing, cringing, and not welcome or needed in the shirt.

Mensah is better by all of the many central defenders, and showed more resistance in ten minutes than the rest did all afternoon. Why did he not start? Bramble exemplified why he became a figure of ridicule to the home supporters.

And why, when this was a 'big' fixture, was Zenden not called upon to use his experience and calmness from the start?

Bruce has got through millions and millions of Short's money, and the jury is out on the staggering inflationary purchase of Gyan, whilst the midfield continued to hoof the ball up for the imaginary Kenwyne Jones to do something with up front. Staggering tactics.

Bruce's reputation is holed below the watermark. He is now a hero on Tyneside. There is only one direction this is going.

After the Chopra debacle gave us a taste of being humiliated at St JP, Quinny should have known better than to risk this much-worse ex-mag scenario to unfold. If Bruce thinks the humiliation and after-shocks in the press and public will be a little more than a 'difficult two days', then this is further evidence of his credibility being shot.

There are proven, successful managers available for work. No more Mr 'Nice' please Niall: be decisive.

Andrew Johnston

Dear ALS

Well what can I say that already hasn’t been said? Having to witness a gutless and spineless performance against our rivals has left me in disbelief. From start to finish we were second best all over the park, a five man midfield being overrun, Benty left feeding of scraps, and a defence that looked so fragile.

These players are being paid to do something they enjoy, I had to pay for the displeasure of watching it. I feel the eleven players and Mr Bruce should put their hands in their pockets and reimburse every fan who was SJP. Why should I have to pay to be treated to that complete pile of shite? No heart, passion, gusto.

I never wanted Mr. Bruce to have the job in the first place, he has the tactical awareness of a boiled cabbage, the mere fact that, yes we have gained some points using a 4-5-1 system, but this is purely restricting Bent, that lad can’t keep, running the line upfront on his own..

I make no secret of the fact, now I’m left feeling like I don’t want to go back to our beloved SOL, it feels as though my heart has been ripped out and been booted all over the place.

Please Mr Bruce, do the decent thing and go

Andrew Malcolmson

Dear ALS

We weren’t a disgrace from start to finish – only from the 20 minute mark.

We started well enough, and Elmo was the key. He was winning everything in the air until Coloccini did a job on him (more of a straight red offence than Titus) and put him out of the game. How did Turner get a red card against Man City for use of his elbow and yet not even a yellow for Coloccini?

Onuoha had his worst game for us and Wellbeck was hopeless. Too many of our lot were intimidated by the atmosphere. At least Zenden would have calmed the midfield down.

To give the Mags some credit (hard though that is) they were up for it in a way we weren’t. Ameobi is a figure of derision among his own support but always turns in his best performances against us. Nolan took all his goals cleanly, and Titus and Turner could not cope with Ameobi and Carroll all over them.

The bright spot (not very bright) was the performance of our substitutes. Gyan and Bent linked together well - with no support from midfield – and need to start together v. Stoke. They deserved the last minute goal.

Richardson played well at full-back and should stay there for Saturday, with McBardsley replacing Onuoha. Mensah will come in for Titus – he should have come on as soon as Titus went off. He was the only defender who looked as if he took it personally that his team were getting slaughtered, and I thought he might chin the gloating Nolan until he realised he’d get a suspension.

Bruce got everything wrong yesterday – like Keane did three years ago, but it is a blip in a good recent record. The players owe the supporters to repair the damage.

By the way – the supporters were disappointing yesterday. It was a derby between the supporters and not just the teams. Sloping off in a huff when we were getting stuffed is not good enough. Next time, if you aren’t going to stick around and support the team till the end, give up your ticket to somebody like me who will. I was sitting in the corner below our support – among the Mags – trying to look happy and avoid getting chinned when I just wanted to cry, and could hardly hear our lot once we went a goal down.

Dave Smark

Dear ALS

I have said it before and I say it again get the man with the big fat head out.

Tactically inept, unable to respond to situations with a change of personnel. As I suspected they might the kids froze they did not have the mentality for the big day. The Egyptian as usual failed to turn up away from home. Cattermole was brainless, clueless and without a first touch leaving the team rudderless we need a true leader on the pitch. Why are we teaching Wellbeck the game for old Red nose instead of having someone of experience and quality in his role.

Mensah, Gordon and Riveros need to be brought into the team to provide a spine of quality and experience. When things a going wrong we need some intervention from the manager, instead of resigned indifference.

It was the most embarrassing day in fifty years of following the red and whites, let’s hope there is an immediate change of attitude among the players although I am not expecting it and immediate change of manager although I am not expecting it either.

Why change the habits of a life time just settle for second best.

John Robson

Dear ALS

Well that was shite! After all the build up and hype the team produced one of the worst derby performances in the history of the club. The lads had no fight, they lacked passion and produced not one ounce of quality football in 90 minutes. For a team to lack such attributes in a derby game is unforgivable.

Spineless is a word that springs to mind when thinking of that performance. The 15 point season players were shite but at least they had a go and showed some fight in the 3-2 defeat in 2005, unlike the players on show on Sunday. I don't think I've ever been as ashamed of a Sunderland team as I felt during and after the game.

Nobody could have seen the result coming after solid performances in our last three games combined with the Mags recent home record. Questions have to be asked of Steve Bruce and the use of his 4-5-1 system against clubs in and around us. Bent was left isolated up front and we were unable to take advantage of their suspect defence. What is the point of having one of the best finishers in the league if we don't create chances for him?

The worrying thing about Bruce is that if the original game plan is not working he does not seem to have an idea how to change things. Gyan who should have started ahead of Welbeck was brought on but then found himself that target of long balls, as was Bent. If Bruce wants to play the long ball system what was the point in selling Kenwyne Jones. Gyan should definitely start against Stoke as what is the point of having a £13m striker sitting on the bench. God knows what Ellis Short was thinking?

The midfield despite having an extra man were overrun and outplayed, Henderson and Malbranque were anonymous and were weak in the challenge against a more physical Newcastle side. Henderson in particular was lost and lacked the bite needed for a derby. Let's see how many national papers think he's worth £20m after that performance.

The game was a tale of two captains; Nolan was on top of his game and was willing to run the lengths of the Earth for his team and manager. Cattermole ran around like a headless chicken for most of the game, abused at his team-mates and should have been sent off. Add to that his appalling positional sense and his general lack of pace and passing ability, David Meyler cannot come back soon enough.

In my opinion Cattermole should be stripped of the captaincy as it seems to be affecting his game. I think he was too young to be given the responsibility and it's certainly a decision that has backfired on Bruce. His behaviour on the pitch towards the ref and his team-mates is not something I want associated with a Sunderland captain.

The defence had looked really good in recent weeks, but all that counted for nothing as they were torn apart by balls over the top. Bramble can be forgiven for his mistimed challenge, it was all or nothing and the game was pretty much over by then anyway. Hopefully Mensah will be fit enough to take his place against Stoke.

Turner shit himself, like he does against anyone with pace and strength. Carroll and Ameobi had the measure of him all day and won everything in the air. For a player who lacks speed and whose strength is his heading ability to lose that contest really showed how bad he played.

Onuoha had his worst game in a Sunderland shirt; I'm seeing a pattern develop here. He wasn't really given much help from Elmo and Welbeck who refused to track Enrique. The penalty killed the game and was a sloppy challenge, he also fell asleep for Nolan's second which he's got to learn from, but he should remain in the first team as apart from this game he has impressed so far this season.

The problem with having a young team is that sometimes the occasion can get the better of them and that certainly happened. The average age of the midfield was 23 which really showed as they were often caught out of position trying to be overly aggressive harrying the ball. That made the game more open and it played right into Newcastle's hands. In games like the derby you need an experienced head who can control the tempo of the game and will play the game as it stands and will not get caught up in the emotion of the game.

Another issue from last season reappeared during the game, that of discipline. It was frightening how petulant and the naïve they were, giving cheap free kicks away and getting yellow cards which could cost us in the long run. If someone who received a yellow card for a petulant tackle on Sunday misses the return game in January due to suspension how stupid will they be feeling?

It'll take a good while to get over not just the result but the level of performance that was on show at SJP. The only way the team can bounce back is with a win against Stoke on Saturday, and to reverse the score line when the Mags come to us in January.

Simon Sinclair

Dear ALS

Surely the inept performance yesterday will finally convince Messrs. Short and Quinn to get rid of the woeful Bruce and go for Martin O’Neill, or some other positive thinking manager, as soon as possible.

Playing Bent on his own up front is bad enough, but to leave the club record signing, recently nominated in the shortlist for FIFA player of the year, out of the starting line shows his limited tactical awareness and inbuilt negativity. As with his failure to play Mensah to deal with Carroll, his unwillingness to play Zenden to make the best use of Welbeck’s pace, he regularly shows us his limited thinking.

As his record with Wigan shows, he is a lower half of the table manager whose idea of success is to avoid relegation. With the present squad, with tactical sophistication, positive selection and motivation, sadly lacking under Steve Bruce, surely Quinny and Mr. Short, and the fans, would be looking for a lot more than bottom half.

Bruce’s dismissal would be the only good thing to come out of yesterday.

Brian C

Dear ALS

I've started writing this at 8.48am on the 1st of November 2010. For those of you that live in a hole - it's the day after Halloween and a day after the horror show of a 5-1 derby defeat by Newcastle. The following is a list of things that can fuck off.
 
1. This hangover can fuck right off. It was a spectacular night, went out at about 10.30 and back home with a kebab by 12. Smashed.
 
2. The lad I had a fight with in walkabout. Yeah, you. Fuck off. Admittedly, the fight was completely my fault and there was absolutely no reason for me to start anything with you for being upstairs. Given I was the only Warrior left, there's a good chance that bar wasn't being left open for me alone. But Warrior pride and Warrior power and all that jazz is apparently very convincing to a man who thought downing a quarter of a bottle of vodka before he jumped in the taxi was a good idea.
 
3. The bouncers can fuck off. Why didn't you just kick me out? It would have saved a lot of time and embarrassment for me. And why the hell were you so nice to me about it? Could you not have lived up to the stereotype and leathered me? I definitely deserved it.
 
4. Steve Bruce, you can Fuck off. Mate, you've been out done by Chris Houghton, a man with approximately 5 minutes of managerial experience in this league. Yes Steve you're ugly as fuck, yes you look like an old burnt woman but that is not an excuse for failing to get the lads fired up for the biggest game of the season. I know it's a concept lost on players these days, but how can 51,889 (not a sell out) delusional Geordies screaming as though Greggs had just gone 24 hours not fire you up into at least not freezing and playing like a bunch of men who had just lost their anal virginity?
 
5. Not remembering what I did last night after leaving Walkabout, that can fuck off. And while I’m on it, just why is there an Australian themed bar in Sheffield, possibly the city least likely to win a 'feels like Australia' contest if ever there is one.
 
6. The stuff that looks a bit like pizza, only is stuck to my arm. You can Fuck off.
 
7. Girls who don't understand just how much pain a defeat like that can cause. You can fuck off. If I hear "Get a grip" one more time, I’m going to break down in tears in front of you and make sure everybody knows you caused me to be like that, then you'll feel like a right tit. Admittedly I will then be a grown man crying, but it's totally worth it. And to be honest the prospect of getting taken to pieces every single day by my Scum supporting mates does make me want to cry.
 
8. Part time fans, you can fuck off. I'm amazed by how many people I’ve never known mention football before have all of a sudden got an incredible interest. If you don't watch match of the day religiously, if you don’t check websites and papers every single day to see just what shitty generic interview that you're 3rd choice left back has given the local press about wanting more games but respecting the managers decisions (get over it mate, you're about to be loaned out to Rotherham, and I live in Sheffield now, this isn’t a city you want to be sent to) If you have never spent £100 on an away day that you really couldn't afford, if you and your dad don’t ring each other every week after the game to discuss your shared pain or joy... you are not a football fan. So fuck off and let the real fans have my attention so they can reap the rewards of a victory like that by taking the piss out of fans like me.
 
9. The Warriors can fuck off. You're like heroin dealers - you got me in on that rookie weekend and let me batter people, you got me addicted to the hits. Then all of a sudden you bring out the amazing amounts of money it costs each week to be part of a team like this, the playbook so I have to fucking learn stuff and all the piss take. Believe it or not cuddles, being compared to a pig on the day of that drubbing does genuinely cause upset. If it wasn't hilarious I would definitely have taken exception. Now don't get me wrong, I love this team already and being part of it is by far the best thing about university but fucking hell lads, I’m used to real football causing me pain like this never mind American football. What have I got myself into?
 
10. Finally, but definitely most importantly, Sunderland AFC can fuck off. Now I know I get piss take for only being a fan for 8 years but let’s be fair, I’m a bigger supporter of my club than most. This genuinely hurts, to be addicted to a club like this, causing me crippling financial and chest pain. I want to stop caring but I can’t. By the way, the news can fuck off, how is Nolan’s hat-trick the top sports story? Westwood is the world’s number one golfer, report that and stop hurting me with your words. Lads you let me down yesterday, but not just me, you let us all down. The people that you better not forget, pay your fucking wages. If we didn’t care about football then you wouldn’t have a job, if we didn’t buy tickets, buy shirts, buy limited edition tie clips, buy our sky sports subscriptions and buy newspapers then nobody would care about you, and you'd be working on a building site in Rotherham (refer to the previous mention for a description) because you're all thick as shit. We do all this for you and you can’t even pretend to care about the derby? The one game in our season we want to win more than we want our parents to live? We make you what you are, We worship you and We deserve better than that. In January you better put this right.
 
I have to go to a fucking lecture now, which can fuck off. But rest assured this pain will last for months and months, life will not go on. But I’m Sunderland till I die and nothing will change that now, I’m addicted to this game and this club even though you're about as welcoming as a husband with a nasty domestic abuse habit. RANT OVER. Thanks for reading.
 
KEEP THE FAITH
FTM
SUNDERLAND TILL I DIE
Adam Capper

Dear ALS

I was going to call this offering 'The Virgin and the Gypsy' - the virgin being me (my first trip to a derby game at scum central in 40 years, and the way I feel now... probably my last) and the Gypsy? That twat headed numbty Mr Andrew Carroll (cos he looks like he lives at the side of the road and eats hedgehogs 'en croute').

My day started with an 8am departure from not so darkest Harrogate, waved off by my other half (a fellow fan but without a ticket). It took only 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the SoL - such was my keenness to 'not miss the buses'. When everyone boarded up at 11 am it felt like the scene in Apocalypse Now when the choppers all start up for the raid on the village - all we lacked was 'Ride of the Valkyries' belting out over lots of loudspeakers. A magical mystery tour followed enabling all those onboard to take in the sweeping vistas of south Tyneside and the cheery waves of the locals bidding us welcome to their city. Atmosphere building. Optimism in the air. And then we kicked off.

I'm not going to comment on the game itself - this will be done much more eloquently by others. I would however like to pose some open questions:-

Turner: presumably in the side to 'cope' with the aerial threat of aforementioned hedgepig eater or Ameobi? This despite being given the complete run around by Heskey last week against Villa. Mensah may not be as tall as Turner but don't think he would have been pushed aside so easily. Would we have been any worse at the back with him? Would we have conceded 5 or more? When Nolan squared up to Mensah late in the game that’s a scrap I would have liked to have seen!

Cattermole: The captain. Expected to lead from the front. A feisty individual. And in the second half? He went awol. Big time. I lost count of the number of times he lost possession and then stood there waving his arms as the black & whites stormed forward again. Leading by example?

Bruce: When it was clear we had lost the middle of the park in the first half (Elmo wondering where on the field his head had been elbowed to, Steed outmuscled everywhere, Wellbeck looking like a disinterested striker playing out of position) why didn't he do something to arrest it as soon as possible. We didn't even use all 3 subs in the game? Like his team, he looked shell-shocked.

The Ref: this isn't clutching at straws, or an attempt to use him as a scapegoat but the Elmo incident set the tone. There wasn't even a booking.

Where do we go from here? Bruce said it'll take a lot to win the fans back over. No, really? I've submitted an application for two tickets to Chelsea away. If I get them I'm not sure I want to go. Today I'm contemplating wasting just short of £100 to save myself embarrassment like that again. Niall's been asking more of us to turn out for the lads. Sorry Niall but you'll be struggling after that. Have a word with your manager to see if he can help you.

And finally - I went 8 hours without having a pee (from boarding the buses at 11am to getting back home at 8pm) - despite all the Skunks lining the road for the journey home trying to take most of it out of me. So Steve Bruce please take note, I turned up and I think put in quite a good shift yesterday (11 hours door to door) and there'll be better examples than mine. I just wish your lads had done the same.

Ged Blakeborough

Dear ALS

SAFC have taken us to some dark places over recent times, and Sunday's "performance" can be added to that list.

Perhaps only Bardsley and Bent come out with the game with any sort of credit. However Bardsley was culpable for one of the goals and Bent is on a hiding to nothing with a 4-5-1 formation if no one from the midfield is going to try and get up to support him.

I can only wonder what the players had been told about the magnitude of the game, but to produce such an in-disciplined, spineless and tactically naive performance. Steve Bruce and his coaching staff should have a long hard look at themselves.

The threat from Newcastle was obvious before the game started, but time and again Nolan and Barton were in acres of space and our five man midfield didn't press or close down quickly enough. Apparently Andy Carroll is useful in the air! The back 4 were oblivious to this and I doubt Carroll will have as much space again this season. Surely Bruce and his staff were aware of this and scouted Newcastle??!! Kenwyne will fancy his chances next week when Stoke visit.

It is all very well Bruce apologising for the performance, but in the one of the biggest games of the season this really cuts no ice and talk is cheap.

Changes have to be made and quickly or I can see the wheels coming off after a steady start to the season. Gordon back in goal certainly and 4-4-2 for starters.

I can't see this happening, but it would be a fine gesture from the board if they gave those who witnessed this debacle their ticket money back.

(Try to) Keep the faith

Ian Murrie
Solihull, West Mids

Dear ALS

Whilst that performance lacked everything you would expect to see form a Sunderland team, I don't think the finger of blame should be pointed solely at Steve Bruce. Yes the 4-5-1 didn't work, but there's no point criticising a system that has seen us takes points off, Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City this season. The ability of both sides goes out the window in derbies and it's down to that lot being up for it more than we were, for the result.
 
If I was to criticise Bruce, then I want to know why Riveros doesn't get a look in and why Zenden's experience (and ability) isn't utilised as often as it should be. Apart from that, he's clearly made progress in the club he inherited last year and we shouldn't forget that. This result should act as a wakeup call for everyone and spur us on to guarantee it doesn't happen again.
 
Today was an embarrassment for Sunderland AFC and whilst I'll always have my heart in the club, I want to see it reciprocated by some players who earn more in a week than I do in four years.
 
Enough said
Chris Dunn
Cheshire

Dear ALS

I have to say this is the worst and most hurtful game I have had to encounter in years, in fact it was spineless, gutless, heartless and there were 7 or 8 players who should donate their wages this week to charity, only Bardsley and Bent can say they put in a half decent shift, the rest you can forget it.

I am so down it will take me weeks or months to get over this. Steve Bruce and his backroom staff must now earn their corn, I do believe they and a lot of the players think they are better than they are, they forget that if you don’t win the battles you won't win the war, they are in for another hard winter unless they bounce back, they have to be bold and show balls and ditch the 4-5-1(especially at home) ok this was working up to a point but we were only picking up draws mainly with the odd win, Bruce is paid to get the formation right so get to work - we need to get Gordon in although Ming did nothing wrong, I think he did flap a few times and needs to come out of the limelight for now, also Mensah, Zenden and Richardson will come back with Gyan(if he is sharp and fit) up top with Benty.

Rob G

Dear ALS

As an American fan who didn't just jump on the band wagon of a team at the top (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, etc.), I take pride in the fact that I support a team that always works hard to do the best job they can and who always keep fighting no matter what the odds and no matter what may be said. Even without the piles of money that other clubs have, we still manage to progress and move forward as a team. For me, Sunderland is a side comprised of heart and determination, and that is something that I can admire, and that is one of the many reasons why I love this team.

Even more impressive is the constant, unrelenting support given to this team by its fans. When you hear people speak of Sunderland fans, it's often in reference to how strongly they give themselves to this team and how much they care. Through it all, we stand by our team, and nothing should change that.

I will admit, today's game was painful to watch. Yes, changes should be made, and I hope they are done so as quickly as possible, but to see so many people coming down so hard on the players and the gaffer over this game, even though it was this game, is shameful. We are better than that! If you want to get angry, get angry. Hell, I know I am! But know that, every player who touched the pitch today for Sunderland feels terrible just like all of us, if not more so, and the same goes for Steve Bruce as well. To hear long time supporters say they almost gave up on the lads after today or to hear people make claims that Steve Bruce deliberately lost the game because he's a Geordie is ridiculous. This is our season to make of it what we choose, and to throw all of that away over the scum just doesn't seem right to me.

I guess my point is, today was horrible for all of us, but right now, this team - our team - needs us to stand behind it and show once again that even through the bad times, we will be there. I know I will.

FTM
Matt Wheeler

Dear ALS

Bad time to write because I suspect like me you have been sat with your head in hands for the last three hours or so.
 
I have to agree with John from Barnes in his suggestion this was not a game for the kids. Pre match I said I wanted to see the 'Rock' at centre back with Zenden in place of Elmo.
 
Yes they have done a decent job up until now but this wasn't a game to blood them in. Not at Sid James anyway.
 
Just as a matter of interest, how the hell did they win every ball in midfield when we lined up 4-5-1 and they went 4-4-2. Where was our extra man?
 
I'm coming to the conclusion that Brucie bulls up too many of our opponents in pre match interviews. Stop telling every bugger how much you admire them.
 
Regards
Paul Dunn

Dear ALS

I am absolutely ashamed today to be a Sunderland fan. I should really count myself as lucky that I wasn't there to witness that shambles - thank god. I really hope that some the players read this and they really need to know how much this defeat hurts and apologies DO NOT help.

This defeat won't fade in a week or even a few months, we will still be hearing about this in years to come. Here we are, clearly the better side on paper and we get torn apart by a frankly inferior Newcastle side with a Bolton reject hat trick! It is an absolute disgrace. Only a big win at the SOL and finishing above those lot will even come close to making up for today. Pure fucking spineless lads! Get a fucking grip!

Also, why the hell can we not win away from home anyway? Why can nobody except Bent score? Get it fucking sorted Steve!

Greg Scott
Ohio USA

Dear ALS

After seeing us beaten 4-1 at the SOL by the Scum and having to listen to them sing "Geordie boys take the piss" I really felt like giving it all up after 30 years. That was the summer Keane and Quinn came in and restored hope and I honestly thought we would not surrender so badly again in the near future. How wrong can a bloke can be? Today's smashing for me was down to two factors 1, they wanted it more and 2, we had too many young heads who didn't turn up and who were overawed by the occasion.

This is the type of defeat that will hang around our necks for years on end. We can hammer Stoke next week (which we won’t) but it won’t do anything to repair today. Even beating them in January won’t unless we hammer them and finish miles above them. Pretty much anything else now will be of no consequence to most fans after that. Surely its time Gyan starts and it’s down to Bruce to earn his wage and find a way of playing him with Bent who is sick of being the lone man. If Bent doesn't score we don't win (over a year in the league since this has happened) and its time the midfield was revamped. Riveros needs to come in as does Kieran down the left. Mensah and Gordon must return for Stoke as well. And anything less than a full comprehensive apology from club, manager and players is not enough.  I wouldn’t start calling for Bruce's head but coming out with stock phrases to explain this defeat won’t do and we have a hard run of games in November and he could be under bug pressure in a month or so.

John
Barnes

Dear ALS

That was the most shitefull display from Sunderland I have seen in a few decades.

Sorry Bruce must go after that and a few spineless players too.

Fuking shite
Anon