Gus Poyet is to take first bow as Sunderland boss at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday. We have enjoyed reasonable success against the Swans since their arrival in the Premier League, unbeaten in four games. We caught up with Jules from Swansea City’s best fansite SwansFC (@swansfc) to ask him about our current plight, Poyet, the Europa League and of course this weekend’s match.
We were lucky enough to get a few moments with Republik of Mancunia writer Nashat Hassan (@nashat_hassan) – so we fired him a few questions. He talks Sunderland, Paolo Di Canio, United, Moyes and today’s game.
Perhaps it’s time to alleviate ourselves from the thought-shackling managerial mess and think a little bit about football, for a bit anyway. Kevin Ball takes charge of what is likely to be his last match as caretaker manager with the next permanent boss set to be announced next week, apparently. So what exactly does a managerless team with one point on the board, the worst defensive record who find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table need next? A visit from the champions of course!
It's hard to be confident going into this weekend's game against Liverpool, but the regime change and a more relaxed atmosphere around the Academy is surely a huge boost.Life under Paolo Di Canio doesn't seem to have suited our squad and if some of the stories I have heard about him are true I'm not surprised. Hopefully they enjoy life a bit more under Kevin Ball and we can start picking up points sooner rather than later. We are still bottom of the league, let’s not forget that!
In the first of a regular feature to build up to the first game of the coming season, we will look back at some of Sunderland’s more memorable opening games over the years. Today we remember the six-goal opening game of the 1964-65 season at home to Leicester City, where a 15 year-old rookie debuted in goal. This was Sunderland’s first game back in Division One following their first ever relegation in 1958. The season continued the trend in keeping player numbers...
In the second part of our build up to the opening game of the season, we look back to the turn of the millennium. Sunderland were entering into the era dubbed as ‘second season syndrome’ and quite possibly a pivotal year for Peter Reid. To make things a little easier, their curtain raiser for the season was against an Arsenal side...
In the final part of our build up to the opening game of the season, we remember the first match of the 1970-71 season, where Bristol City were the hosts to a Sunderland side that had finally been relegated from the First Division after spending five years in a constant dogfight.1970 was the realisation of what many felt over the...
After a surprising loss on the opening day of the season last week Sunderland will look to bounce back against Southampton in their first away game of the season. The Black Cats will make the long journey south looking to bag their first points of the season after impressing against Fulham at the Stadium of Light, only narrowly losing by 1-0.
Three games, that’s all – three games and I am already scratching my head wondering what on earth is going on. Nothing makes any sense to me at the moment and quite frankly I am starting to get a little bit scared. Can you get more contrasting performances? What on earth was happening on Tuesday? My mind hurts. Anyway, here we come again London.
