Deputy Editor Malcolm Dawson isn’t party to what goes on behind closed doors at the Stadium of Light. Like most supporters he relies on gossip and what is reported in the media. But that doesn’t stop him reflecting on events at the club and drawing his own conclusions. It had to happen didn’t it? It […]
Big Sam for Sunderland. Klinsmann, Howe or whoever you want for England

Pete Sixsmith casts some light, and also some wisdom, on talk of Big Sam for the England job, finding relief in reports – albeit from an occasionally dodgy source – that the FA don’t want him anyway … (more…)
Now the Euro Brexit for the pampered products of England’s failed academy

This is turning into one of the great modern stories: how a plucky little nation, scorned by the rest of Europe, lost to Iceland in Euro 16. — George Caulkin (@CaulkinTheTimes) June 27, 2016 Bravo George Caulkin, self-described ‘chronicler of misery for The Times (North East football, mainly)’, for that clever piece of gallows humour […]
Euro 2016: Sixer on England yobs, warlike Russians, reckless Cana and (elsewhere) Yedlin

Monsieur Salut writes: Pete Sixsmith makes 10 points from the opening sequence of the Euros but I seem to have reduced them to seven. I began yesterday in a rage against the moronic English ‘fans’ who, as I have witnessed at first hand, are as obnoxious a group of people as you’d hope not to […]
Jermain Defoe: Roy Hodgson’s missed open goal for England may be costly

A little while ago, back in February as it happens, we published the view of an outsider, Mark Smith, a freelance sports writer based in Prague, that Roy Hodgson should take Jermain Defoe to the Euros. The case got stronger, of course, but the deafness afflicting Hodgson got worse, too. It’s heartening when neutrals see […]
Win a trip to the Euros: Hodgson snubs Defoe, who should go?

Win a trip to the Euros … read on Roy Hodgson has probably worked out where Sunderland is on the map but not clearly enough to make him select an in-form striker, who grabbed an astonishing tally of 15 Premier League goals despite playing for a team that spent most of the season in the […]
Could Jermain Defoe be in Roy Hodgson’s squad for the Euros?

When the question was first raised, Monsieur Salut’s instinctive response was along the lines of ‘Hodgson doesn’t really know where Sunderland is, so is unlikely to see Jermain Defoe play unless we’re away to and being beaten soundly by a London side containing one or more of his favourites’. But the questioner persisted with the […]
Terry Fenwick: ‘the drunken scout I blame for never playing for Sunderland’

There are worse things than being the coach, as we must these days call managers, of a team in the third tier of Belgium football. Perhaps not many worse things, but being the coach/manager who took Cercle Sportif Visé, better but not very much better known as CS Visé, down from the second division in […]
Brazil 2014. Robson reports in: that phenomenally good and bad Suarez

John McCormick writes: Jeremy Robson has been busy lately but managed to catch up with the World Cup and pass on his thoughts. His considered appraisal of England’s performance and the reasons for it are well worth reading, be you fan, player, owner or member of the FA council. And, if you’re one of the […]
Sunderland’s headlong fall and the unconditional love that makes us keep faith
Monsieur Salut, aka Colin Randall, writes: in my brief time in Abu Dhabi, I saw more of Sunderland live than […]