Abacus

I'd like to win it, but I kind of agree that we should rest players carrying knocks. Maybe it's time to get more minutes for the likes of Anderson/ Gordon. But on the other hand, it's just one game and they'll benefit more from a rigorous pre-season. I did wonder if Howe might give a few minutes to some of the squad players who contributed well behind the scenes in training and in the past few years, but probably won't be here next season as a bit of a thank you. I'm thinking of the likes of Ritchie and Lascelles.

Yeah, similar - all decent folk. I've never actually raised the topic of RTG with them, but I do think there's such groupthink on there that you can't diverge from their ridiculous conspiracy theories or else you're labelled a "mag". Awful site, and no surprise if any decent Sunluns with a brain want to give it a swerve. I've never posted on there, not a member, but skim it most days. It started when they were plummeting out of the championship because I wanted to know why they were so bad, and you don't get much media coverage outside the PL, other than one sentence in a "championship round up" type report. The main reason I go on now is for the daily TV thread. But it's amazing how many new topics are posted daily which are thinly veiled 'mag' topics, because it's seemingly all they really want to talk about on there, even though they're not allowed to.

Another poke in the eye for Grealish last night. Other than that one miss / save at 2-1, he was superb.

It's so impressive how far and how fast Anderson has come on. I was thinking he needed another loan season before being in the squad, but he's become a real valuable member of it now as a sub. Might even need to start the next match depending on injuries etc.

Commentary team sound gutted Brighton have scored. Screws up their title race narrative.

I think part of the criticism of Gordon isn't actually about him, it's about the January transfer window in general. So, it's unfair to lay it all on him. We all wanted reinforcements in certain areas. Selling Wood and Shelvey left us exposed up front and in midfield. No-one would argue with those deals on their own AT ALL. But, for Wood, it left us exposed to another injury to Wilson without having a replacement. I'm pretty sure taking him off at 2-1 yesterday was to protect him for future games, making it obvious that's one place we had needed to strengthen. Likewise, an injury to Bruno would've put us right up the creek. Shelvey, for all his faults, could at least come in and cover for a game or two under Howe. So, we were running a risk in a couple of key positions. And now Bruno seems to be carrying a knock and not able to play like he has been, so we probably could have done with Shelvey for a game or two (as much as I dislike him). Instead of which, we seemed to chase Gordon for all that window, who was neither and for a role that I couldn't really define. I still don't really know what his role is yet, though I understand he needs time, patience and proper coaching. However, and this isn't on him either, on top of that I don't know why he has been brought on or started in certain key games. The sub yesterday was a mistake - he doesn't seem to know how to press in a game we just needed to close down and where people were already losing their heads. As for him, he's at least more two footed than Almiron, much like any biped, but he doesn't seem to know what he's doing. He so far can't seemingly dribble, tackle, or make the right decisions and then acted a bit petulantly with his substitution a few games back. Yes, he may well become a mainstay in the side in the future. But I think the frustration towards him is that in January he wasn't what we needed. Now, maybe that's because they weren't available or perhaps because I just don't know what he is. And then, of course, being thrown into certain games before he seems to know how to fit into the team makes him a bit of a lightning rod for criticism, even though neither of things are his fault.

This is the thing for me. We were all over them at that point and a goal was coming - you could feel it from all the pressure we were building. And Arsenal couldn't afford to timewaste as they needed the win. Then the ref gives a wrong decision, it takes an age to be overturned by VAR, then they get the chance to release the ball upfield and relieve the pressure, and they score shortly after and then break up play and frustrate afterwards No complaints with the way it panned out after that - they were then the better team. But I'm pretty convinced that had we scored first instead of them, as was coming before that cock-up, it would have been a very different game

That bad penalty call really cost us. We were all over them and a goal was coming. VAR probably got it right but after that long delay our momentum was broken, and almost straight after they score. After that they could have had a couple more and we just haven't been at it as much.

I've only just watched his interview and that's one of the oddest things I've seen. He managed to combine knowing nothing, being unable to communicate intelligibly and sounding like he has a huge chip on his shoulder all at the same time. Obviously, a huge chip would be a good thing for him but he definitely didn't look like he should have been doing that press conference right then. Now watch this young up and coming prospect win the last 4 and be hailed as a misunderstood renaissance man.

We'll batter every last team we're up against. It's Arsenal that should be worried next.

To me, this is nowhere near as stressful as the relegation seasons. In those, you seemed to have a chance every week to get out of it and then we always cocked it up. It was just a never-ending feeling of sickness and disappointment. I've enjoyed games so much this season, more than in years, with a team and a manager I'm totally behind. We're basically guaranteed some form of European football next year which was beyond our dreams 12 months ago. And we've got a genuine better than good shot at Champions League. I'd easily rather be in our position than anyone outside the top 4. Your lass is probably right. And you can explain that in your own way when we thrash Arsenal.

Well first I wanted Everton down, but now I want Leeds down because of BFSA. Oh my, just what's a hate-filled fan supposed to do?

With Klopp, a stadium ban just means he can't verbally abuse the officials in person for a few games, which is hardly anything. It's the culture he's set and is a part of which is the problem. Even his (much younger and less experienced) players don't carry on like him. I'd be all for a very heavy penalty here. If Mitrovich gets a lengthy ban for his behaviour, then an adult who is in charge of the whole team with many more years of experience should get worse. Ultimately, for persistently implying that officials are corrupt and haranguing them in front of a baying crowd should be sackable as it undermines the integrity of the league. But, on the other hand, maybe I just can't stand the whinging idiot

I always think that Stavely and Mehrdad are such canny operators across the Middle East, that they could easily bring in sponsorships etc not directly linked to Saudi. They could run rings around the FFP rules made by the corrupt 6 nonces.

Martin Hardy in the Times was also pointing out that he had a poor first half and we improved when he went off, plus that he's struggled in general. Also that he'd ignored Howe telling him to press higher up the field in that game, so it's not just Hope. From my point of view, I thought he was OK. At times he looked like a bright spark in a team that wasn't playing well, and hitting the post is hardly a stick to beat him with. I do think that it's obvious he'll need time and coaching to fit in with the system. As others have said, there seem to be raw materials to work with. My only concern is, with new recruits in the summer and potentially CL being well ahead of schedule, whether he'll get that time because he'll need to come on fast to be in /fit in with our first team.

You'd have to say that Spurs are almost certainly out of the race now so that's one rival down. We'd need to basically lose every game and they'd need to win every one to catch us. As it is, you can see Brighton finishing above Spurs easily, and maybe Villa too. Would be great to see them out of Europe, mainly because I can't stand Levy. But as for us - I just keep looking at the league table in disbelief and watching us dismantle team after team. It's Europe in some form or another for us and most likely champions league now. What a season!

I'm hoarse. The second half was a cracking atmosphere - I think the closer to the corner you are the better. It probably helped that we were behind at half time tbf because it felt like we all had to come out and swing it back our way in the second half.

He did say he'd consider a job in the championship, which I thought was nice of him. Here's one quote "Eddie Howe is manager of the season. Newcastle have spent £200m - that I didn't get by the way". No, Alan. You just had one of the hottest scouts at that time raiding the French league for you and bringing the likes of peak Cabaye. None of his nonsense was challenged, or even analysed though. Surely no-one would take a chance on Pardew now? Oh, you know what, ignore me he's old news.

Pardew has been saying he wants another job in England. It was in a ridiculous puff piece by one of the worst sports journalists around - Alyson Rudd. She basically just quoted all his nonsense verbatim. Edit - in the Times.

Whether he is our best player or not, there's no question to me that Trippier was our most important signing last season. He came into a terrible situation, scored some crucial goals, and helped galvanise a demoralised squad. And he did the latter bit off the pitch after breaking his foot comically early on in his career here. Even now, you see the difference when he is on the pitch. If you're going to ask who saved us from near certain relegation, set the standards and gave us a platform for this incredible season it's Howe and him.

I used to think there was a huge gulf between L1 and the championship. Turns out that there isn't; you can do pretty well with a few experienced players, blooding some young players and some clever loan moves. The premier league is a bit different - as both our clubs have seen, it's thoroughly miserable just being cannon fodder and spending all season scanning the bottom half of the table. There's a fair case to be made that going up now could actually be a bad thing for Sunderland. Then again, what with parachute payments if you get the chance to go up you've got to grab it, I suppose. They'd need serious investment to survive, though - be interesting to see what their owners would do, or whether they stick around.

Enrique

Don't think I'd be playing Gordon either. Just on footballing grounds apart from anything else - a nice option to have off the bench but I don't know who he'd replace from Sunday's starting 11. Also, would be some unnecessary winding up of the home fans to create an atmosphere which they desperately need more than us. Hopefully, our away fans can wind Pickford up into another meltdown, though.

Quite honestly, my favourite player in years. He absolutely bullied Spurs, and his volcanic reaction after he scored showed it meant everything to him. Thought I was way too old to have favourite players, but it turns out he's proved me wrong in that as well ?

Call him up, Gareth.