It’s been an interesting few days in the Mackem World, and we have reasons to feel a little bit more happier than we had in the weeks beforehand. With just three games left to play, the Lads are ensconced in a mid-table position with nothing but a decent finishing position to play for. However, the last couple of games have given us some possible renewed optimism for the 2024-25 campaign.
Going into the Leeds game, nobody gave the Lads a hope. We went into it totally out of form, with just one win in eight since Doddsy was given temporary control for the third time. Leeds had, and still have, something to play for and we were deemed by most to be the proverbial lambs to the slaughter with the home side in unbeaten form since the turn of the year. As it turned out, the Lads on duty in West Yorkshire turned in a performance that mirrored the defensive showing at Burnley around the same time last season. The home side were made to look ordinary as and had zero shots on target all game, something that had not happened to them all season. Yes, we got away with a couple of penalty shouts against us but sometimes you have to ride your luck in games.
As a team, we were solid and didn’t give Leeds that much of a sniff. You could tell by the looks on the faces of the home players that they were not used to not having their own way especially on home turf. Any sense of players not caring because they had nothing to play for had been diminished, they knew they had put in a shift and done SAFC proud. It certainly felt better than Easter Monday for sure. Leeds’ promotion hopes taking a bit of a bump in the road but we didn’t care. Then came a trip to the Hawthorns on Saturday, and against another side that something still to play for: in Albion’s case play-offs. Yet the Lads picked up from where they left off at Leeds and shut the home side once more whilst bagging a winner in the bonus.
Last season, Dennis Cirkin scored a wonder goal there following a slick team move. However, we got another well taken finish for the win. To finish with such calmness and precision from big Pierre was fantastic. They would have been issuing plaudits a plenty in the Premier League for a strike as good as Pierre’s was. If the pressure is off, then there’s just the freedom to play and put on performances that will make others sit up and notice. For some it becomes a shop window of sorts. However, we can’t afford to rest on our laurels so to speak as we have three games to play and two of those are against teams battling to stay in the Championship so they will be scrapping and kicking for their lives. If we can adopt the mentality and performance like we have done at Leeds and West Brom into those games, we will be fine and dandy.
Another thing that came out last week was the announcement of a “new” kit supplier from next season on. Out go Nike, and welcome back Hummel with those distinct chevrons. When I think of Hummel kits in the past with the Lads, I hark back and imagine the sight of Gary Bennett in central defence. Who do they remind you of? Let’s hope that the designs are good and not look like somebody has given a child a set of crayons to draw with. The weird thing though about this, is that we seem to be potentially go back in time and kit suppliers. Whatever next, are we going to move on from Hummel eventually to Avec, Asics, Diadora again? Just a thought. I know what I want to see as a home kit: broad red and white striped shirts with black shorts and red socks. But it’ll be interesting to see what away kit Hummel create. Ideally if they asked me, it would be blue shirts and socks to go with a pair of white shorts. What would you like?
The managerial issue still has names added to it every week. I mean, I have read reports of “Big Sam” coming back or former Celtic manager Neil Lennon being linked with the position in SR5. I’m not really a big fan of bringing back previous managers to be brutally frank so it’s a noooo for Sam’s return if I was making the choice. Lennon would be an interesting pick especially based on his achievements at Celtic but we have to remember that he struggled at Bolton with a less than 30 per cent win ratio so hmmm I don’t know. We need to get the right man in for sure but as I said last week, the successful applicant has to buy into the Club, the City and have a connect with the fanbase. Get the manager in who can do all the three main qualities and bring in who he wants in, not ones that Kristjaan Speakman picks and signs, then we can move forwards and hopefully get back in that promised land that is the Premier League which is a whole new challenge whatsoever.
Keep that red and white flag flying high, and the faith as always. Sunderland ‘til we die!
