I’ve been impressed with our new owners, really, really, impressed. This season could of went just as bad as last season.
Last season we found ourselves behind in so many games and couldn’t muster up any form of fight back to drag ourselves off the floor. This season however we’ve found something within, you can practice as many shots in training, take as many free kicks. Stay back an hour collecting crosses on an empty training field and none of that hard work will create the grit determination and guile to pick yourself up off the canvas and give your opponent everything until they give in. That comes from within, the coaching staff are there to light them fires in their bellies, make them feel a foot taller. Install the hardware into their brains that regardless of setbacks we will come back.
We will get our chances; our endeavour and determination will see us get back into the game. This drive has come right from the top, Charlie Methven stating that the piss taking party stops now in his and Stewart Donald’s first press conference was a great message to send out to the agents and players who look at Sunderland as an easy meal ticket. They are going to take them head on. Stewart Donald often outs the bullshit stories from the media and agents and provides the truth for us all to hear. Their communication has been top class, the way they have conducted themselves and their attitude and passion towards our club is fantastic. There is just something special about SAFC, an energy and a passion from within to succeed.
I once accompanied my good friend to Bradford away years ago when Julio ran about 19 miles with the ball and chipped the keeper and we had to sit in the home end as my mate was in a wheelchair and I can remember the noise from the Sunderland fans, behind the goal. They provided a wind behind the lads first half and nearly sucked the ball over the line in the second half. Everywhere I’ve travelled with Sunderland barring the Mags and Boro we’ve always been well received. Always had good craic with locals and I’ve personally never experienced much hostility. I think a lot of people have a soft spot for Sunderland, 73’ endeared us to a lot of neutrals. I’ve always been happy to wear my colours without fear of getting set about by some 13-year-old with a Stone Island jumper on.
So as this new era takes hold, I’m proud to see us front up these agents. Setting the record straight and taking players to task over their behaviour. We may never reach the Premier League again or get there and not be able to sustain a decent period to have a crack at the big boys, but that fine with me. I watched Man City vs Liverpool the other night and while a great spectacle I couldn’t help hear the chorus of whistles and jeers every time Liverpool were in possession. It was awful. Instead of backing their team they chose to boo the other side, it caught my attention and I ended up focused on that more than the game. Man City have been shit, as in Sunderland strength shit, now though they have world class talent, the best club football manager of modern time. Tremendous facilities and a great academy. But I found myself thinking, are they any happier than when we beat Blackpool away? Do cans on the bus taste any better? Lads like Honeyman and Gooch stuck around when times got tough. Would any of the city players still be there if it all went wrong? Would they fuck. If the sheik pulled the plug tomorrow they would all be gone by February, and that’s why I’m proud of our club. I’d love to see us be successful, a cup or a top six finish. At what cost though, employing the same type of mercenaries who nearly drove our club into the ground?
No thanks, if we are to have any success, I would like it to be by building a team and adding slowly, 2-3 players a window and make a squad who know just what it means to wear the Red and White stripes.
