Benwell Lad

Well we improved after January because we brought in some new players and effectively had a different team. We were in a slump before that and confidence was ebbing away. I don't see why people are dismissing the tiredness issue in such an aggressive way. The team was playing its 5th game in a fortnight against a team that was playing its 3rd. We had played three days before. Any opposition in that situation will be at an advantage. That's not the only reason we lost. But it's the reason why we were unable to make use of our superior squad. Stats don't mean everything, but they do reinforce my own impression of an even game. They scored at the right times, we were unlucky in having what would probably have been a game-changing goal wrongly chalked off. Fatigue, both mental and physical can be a factor, even if you change half a team, the levels at which the game is played today you will be found out if just 2 or 3 players are not 100%. I think even more pertinent is preparation time. Nowadays there is a meticulous approach to the opposition and only being able to give total focus to the next game for one and a half days or so, rather than a full week, is difficult. This is not an excuse for Sunday, our superior players should have seen them off regardless, but to disregard the effect of playing five full on games in 2 weeks is naive at best.

Been a really shit season all told, performances, injuries, decisions etc. A couple of decent European nights, a great victory against Chelsea, that's about it. Even our single away win was a nail biting, painful evening. I thought Reading was the nadir until yesterday.

.com pretty much on the money. Once again, seeing gangs of lads walking towards the stadium after full time confirmed that many of those looking for bother hadn't actually attended the game and were drinking in the town and watching it on TV, if at all. While not seeking to underplay the disorder, there seems to have been a certain amount of hysteria the media reporting. That was exacerbated partly by the ready availability of footage and also the convenience of the "soccer weekend of shame" articles prompted by the incidents involving Millwall at Wembley on Saturday. As a guide, the 20 arrests made at the away game last October were reported only in the context of alleged racist abuse, while the 36 arrests on wearside in January 2011 and 29 there back in October 2008 attracted no more than one line mentions in the national press. Also, unsurprisingly, the local TV News seems to be making a huge story of the post match stuff, while ignoring what were probably the worst incidents i.e. the smoke bombs being thrown down into the crowd below inside the Stadium.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a similar statement from sunderland re the in-fighting at their ground, or fireworks being indiscriminately thrown down into areas containing women and children. They'll just ignore it like they do the with pitch invasions.

....and specifically about yesterday... We were flat footed and key players looked empty but most concerning for me is the lack lof eadership and nous both on the touchline and on the pitch. We need to address that quickly to survive and longer term if we ever wish to progress. I thought they were the second worst side at SJP this season, after Reading, but in the end they out fought us and both those teams walked off with the points. Johnson had one of his MOTD moments and Vaughan will never hit a ball as sweet again. We were robbed of an equaliser by rotten refereeing again - is someone bribing the officials we get ? Their fans were disgraceful and cowardly as usual, throwing missiles etc into the crowd below and incredibly smoke bombs which could have badly hurt anyone including women and children. Their manager should realise he is no longer at a Roman Fascist Rally and that his agressive taunting and gesturing have no place in this country, especially in such volatile situations.

Ah well, here goes, a broad and short perspective. Broadly, they've finally had their moment in the sun and as we know they will be basking in the moment for decades to come. A lot of arrogance amongst our fans regarding our derby, almost as if we now have a right to not lose. Older fans will remember when it was pretty even, indeed my first ever derby at SJP they beat us 3-0 when we were hot favourites to win and in the same season beat us 3-0 at Roker. Then there was the 1-4 and the play off loss. We got over it. No club ever dominates a city or regional derby, whether it's Liverpool,Manchester,Glasgow,Sheffield,Pompey/Saints,Cardiff/Swansea,Forest/Derby, North London or East Anglia. It comes and goes, and when someone in their 30's tells me they have only lived through five defeats we have done much better than most. Let them enjoy their moment but remember, even if they beat us 10-0, when the wake up they're still smelly mackems and have to live and watch their football in Britain's biggest shit tip.

Is that the same Ellis Short who recently appointed a self confessed fascist sympathiser to be manager of his soccerball club ?

So the news are latching on to the Northumbria Police's warning about fascist salutes being brandished at the match. I think they're missing the point. There is only one person involved who has a history of being a fascist sympathiser and giving offensive salutes and that's not the fans, it's the manager of Sunderland AFC.

We must take considerable heart from the fact that the oposition we will face on Sunday is vastly inferior to what we faced last night. And we'll be stronger.

I like Willo and he's always been a decent stand in CH. Honest Player. He just wasn't cut out to be first choice for 30 odd games due to necessity, but as a stand in no problem.

Swedish commentator yesterday compared his cameo yesterday to Messis' for Barcelona against PSG, and it was a fair comparison as well IMO To be honest I was thinking it when he was stood on the sideline waiting to come on, massive lift for the crowd even though he wasn't fully fit. I just love the electric ripple that goes through the crowd when you have a player like that waiting to come on. It's a fantastic feeling. The noise that greeted his entrance last night was deafening. He really is loved.

In the ground and boozers I've heard debate concerning Pardew's perceived overly cautious approach to games but no real criticism of the bloke. In fact this season he's had considerable sympathy for the injuries and luck we've been dealt. There was dissent and open criticism at SJP during the Reading match but the bloke held his hands up and admitted his error. Generally most are supportive of Pardew, and if context is needed on internet forums, the criticism he's received is probably less than Wenger, Moyes and even Mourinho received at certain times in their jobs.

especially the bit in bold; we've got a better squad and about 10 less games to cater for (presuming we do take the cups semi-seriously). About the first thing I said in the boozer post match yesterday. Europe is great fun but lets have a full on tilt at the domestic Cups next season with a stronger squad than we've had for a while. And we'll be playing at the same time as everyone else in the league - no Athens away Thursday night and Chelsea away Saturday nonsense.

Probably the worst topic/thread on here. Just the same old regurgitated and prejudiced opinions week after week.

Even just playing 30 minutes and not fully match fit the difference HBA makes to our attacking play is quite amazing. Every time he gets the ball you expect something positive to happen and it often does.

Our "A" Team would have won the tie, and even with what we had on the pitch I'm not sure they were better than us over two legs. Slicker on the ball at times perhaps but in both games we had them rattled for periods. FWIW with a "reserve" back four and the tie poised the way it was I thought we did it the right way last night amd at 1-0 our game plan looked right on course. It wasn't to be.

If any mackems are reading this could they let us know who gets knocked out on Masterchef tonight as we'll be busy watching our team play against one of Europe's top clubs in a European quarter final. Thanks in advance.

"Offensive gestures, particularly those with a suggestion of racist connotations, are completely unacceptable and we will take positive action against anyone seen acting in an offensive or racist manner" Looks like they're keeping an eye on di canio. He could end up in clink if his previous behaviour is anything to go by.

Do they get their tickets for the derby at SJP for free, like they do at the stadium of spam, or do they have to pay for away games ?

I s*** you not at work , this was actually the first thing one of my staff said to me One of the mackems at work wrote '9-1 FTM' on my toolbox last year before the last derby at st james It's the land that time forgot, the only place they can live is in the past.

Definitely. Colo is still far and away the best defender at the club.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ae6f150282f2c6fb76844f0e6844968b/tumblr_mgr7dgMTKi1rbsg6jo1_400.gif Cracks developing in the regime already

They've always been the most fickle fans in football and it's never more obvious than when they turn on their managers who go from messiah to pariah overnight. It's difficult to believe how they've turned on their beloved Marty so quickly and trashed their socialist/working class heritage in favour of a fascist they were slagging off a few weeks ago.

So will they be doing their fascist stuff on Sunday (salutes,banners etc) or will they just stick to the normal songs about Shearer and wishing people were dead ?

He's done ok in European games previously.