Football

I'd be interested to know how the boy Ndong's been doing but I can't imagine it's been sufficient. Hell, even if they barely get a kick between them, dusting off Victor Anichebe and a 49 year-old Steven Pienaar from the Moyesy playbook of 2006 immediately transmitted a howling sense of despair about what kind of season Sunderland were in for (though of course the manager helpfully reminded everyone they were in a relegation scrap after the first throw-in of the season). 

9 hours ago, Frederick said:

I'd be interested to know how the boy Ndong's been doing but I can't imagine it's been sufficient. Hell, even if they barely get a kick between them, dusting off Victor Anichebe and a 49 year-old Steven Pienaar from the Moyesy playbook of 2006 immediately transmitted a howling sense of despair about what kind of season Sunderland were in for (though of course the manager helpfully reminded everyone they were in a relegation scrap after the first throw-in of the season). 

At the moment Ndong just doesn't look ready to play week in and week out, but I'm reluctant to judge him too harshly as he's currently tasked with forming a midfield trio alongside Rodwell and McNair. A fate much worse than anything the courts could dish out, surely!

Pienaar at least has some idea of what he's doing, he seems to use the ball quite well although it probably goes without saying that he can't really run any more. If you stuck him in a half decent, settled team he'd look alright. By far the biggest wastes of time have been Anichebe and Love, even now with seven of our regular first teamers missing through injury, neither can get a game. Ordinarily, I'd say it was time to send an SOS to Phil Neville, but it didn't work when we tried it with Steven Naismith so my expectations aren't particularly high.

In a volatile world full of a grim despair, it's comforting to be able to depend on Spurs to lose again at Wembley. 

Let's not get too carried away with yesterday's result, I for one would still settle for a place in the Champions League.

On 06/11/2016 at 1:23 PM, Michael* said:

Let's not get too carried away with yesterday's result, I for one would still settle for a place in the Champions League.

Can David keep the moyementumn going?! 

10 hours ago, Frederick said:

 

Can David keep the moyementumn going?! 

As much as he's underwhelmed in just about every department imaginable so far, I will admit to being quite pleased for Moyes after the Bournemouth game. Looking at him these days, it's almost impossible to believe that he was ever handed the top job at the Premier League champions, let alone that it happened as recently as 2013, but I still think there's a half decent manager in there somewhere. As for the players, they've at least shown now that they're capable of winning a game and perhaps needless to say, another three points would be just what the doctor ordered. Beat Hull after the international break and suddenly we're all riding a wave of renewed optimism again. Come up short and really, you'd have to say we're back to square one.

The Derby of the Low Countries is usually a big deal over here, but with how poorly the Netherlands have played since the World Cup in 2014, the excitement is rather limited for this one. There was even some talk of a player from Heracles getting a call-up!

On 11/8/2016 at 0:29 AM, Michael* said:

 

As much as he's underwhelmed in just about every department imaginable so far, I will admit to being quite pleased for Moyes after the Bournemouth game. Looking at him these days, it's almost impossible to believe that he was ever handed the top job at the Premier League champions, let alone that it happened as recently as 2013, but I still think there's a half decent manager in there somewhere. As for the players, they've at least shown now that they're capable of winning a game and perhaps needless to say, another three points would be just what the doctor ordered. Beat Hull after the international break and suddenly we're all riding a wave of renewed optimism again. Come up short and really, you'd have to say we're back to square one.

For however long Jermain Defoe's pacemaker remains intact there's always going to be at least a glimmer for Sunderland. Hull at home though needs to be a formulaic, no fuss three point banker, the likes of which they fail to produce for the first eight and a half months of the season, year after year. Inane as it feels to say, away to Swansea on December 10th feels like a potential referendum day for Moyes. 

On 11/8/2016 at 2:04 PM, SympathysSilhouette said:

The Derby of the Low Countries is usually a big deal over here, but with how poorly the Netherlands have played since the World Cup in 2014, the excitement is rather limited for this one. There was even some talk of a player from Heracles getting a call-up!

Looking at the current Dutch squad, a fit Arjen Robben might be the only player who'd walk into Belgium's first eleven.

Hard not to feel for Vincent Kompany after this latest setback. It's looking more and more like persistent injuries are going to cut a great career short.

1 minute ago, Michael* said:

 

Looking at the current Dutch squad, a fit Arjen Robben might be the only player who'd walk into Belgium's first eleven.

 

Hard not to feel for Vincent Kompany after this latest setback. It's looking more and more like persistent injuries are going to cut a great career short.

Probably was rushed back once too many for his own good. Also got a lot of miles on his legs as a teenager, which isn't very good for having a lengthy career either.

On 11/9/2016 at 9:23 AM, Frederick said:

For however long Jermain Defoe's pacemaker remains intact there's always going to be at least a glimmer for Sunderland. Hull at home though needs to be a formulaic, no fuss three point banker, the likes of which they fail to produce for the first eight and a half months of the season, year after year. Inane as it feels to say, away to Swansea on December 10th feels like a potential referendum day for Moyes. 

I'd say if we can rack up six or seven points in our next four games (Hull, Liverpool, Leicester and Swansea), then we'll be right back in the mix, although of course, it's another big if. In a funny way, the decline in the overall quality of the Premier League is probably making it tougher to stay up, as teams you'd hope would finish below you now look more likely to pick up points in games where in the past it would have been unthinkable (Burnley at Man Utd, Boro at City and so on).

Encouraged by Bruce taking the game to Brighton, one of the better teams in the division. Ten draws at this stage in the season is a complete absurdity but we are looking better by pretty much all metrics. It's not always fluid and playing Gabby accomplishes nothing but I'll take more steely and pragmatic 'Bruceball' if it propels us...somewhere. 

Beat Bayern. Scabby but glorious. Red Bull (has anyone sincerely called them 'Leipzester City' yet and if so, were they punched repeatedly?) to win the league. Hoffenheim runners-up. Schalke 10th. Press conference to announce the apocalypse. Joey Barton wins the Turner Prize. There's your 2017.

Put Jermain Defoe in an oxygen tent at night, inject him with modified stem cells, wash his kit in the fountain of youth, make him drink that potion from 'Death Becomes Her'. Whatever it takes!

As noted above, I'm all for steely 1-0s but that was far too conservative from Stevie B., there was a bread and butter win to be had but we set up like we were in awe of Leeds, who were woeful in spite of the result. You'd find less nothingness staring into a black hole than playing Westwood, Jedinak and Gardner together. And as for dunce hat extraordinaire Tommy Elphick, a quivering wreck every time a cross comes in, which makes the already prone to daftness Gollini do daft things. When Baker returns it'll be like we've signed Paolo Maldini. 

Losing Watmore for the season will be a massive blow for us. He may give off a 'distance runner who accidentally became a pro footballer' vibe, but his eagerness to engage defenders and ability to take us up the field will be sorely missed.

This of course means that it's now time for Januzaj to finally stand up and be counted. The lad clearly has ability, but we need him to show that he wants to play for us, or at the very least show Jose that it would be worth taking him back at the end of the season. All things considered, I'm predicting either a wonder goal, red card or season ending injury at Swansea next week.

On Wednesday, December 07, 2016 at 3:54 PM, Michael* said:

This of course means that it's now time for Januzaj to finally stand up and be counted. The lad clearly has ability, but we need him to show that he wants to play for us, or at the very least show Jose that it would be worth taking him back at the end of the season. All things considered, I'm predicting either a wonder goal, red card or season ending injury at Swansea next week.

Considering he's sleepwalked through the last two years, Januzaj should certainly be keen. He got a pretty good kicking after his inglorious loan to Dortmund and yes, he was powderpuff of the highest order but really he's barely out of nappies, which is easy to forget seeing as he's been around for a while. You don't want to see the lad wake up one day, a 29 year-old millionaire with funny ears, six moves into his career, wondering why he's stuck on the bench at Hamburg.

It would be a real shame if people remembered Januzaj as a wasted talent, because there's certainly a good player in there somewhere. He has quick feet, dribbling ability and can thread the ball through the eye of a needle, but at the moment he looks to have all the upper body strength of a newborn baby. I get the impression that he's still in a huff with everyone because he never made it at United, so much so that Moyes, the one manager who unquestionably rates him, doesn't seem to think it's worth starting him.

Overall, a bad day at the office yesterday, but we have to hope that it was just a one-off and not a more permanent return to the dismal form of earlier in the season. Chelsea in midweek is a write-off, which means we'll be needing something at home to Watford on Saturday.

Couldn't see Arsenal and Bayern getting drawn together, could you? 

Regarding Benfica, I suppose it's a good draw but it's hard to know what shape we'll be in by mid-February. Can still be a purring sportscar going forward but can as often be turgid and error prone. I can see a fair few goals over two legs.

Finish top of the group and draw Bayern, finish second and they would have had Barca. Oh, to be Arsenal in the Champions League. Still, I wouldn't write them off just yet, a much worse Arsenal side only went out on away goals to a much better Bayern side.

I could perhaps see Monaco springing a surprise against Man City, Jardim has a well organised team at his disposal and one that capitalises on the sort of clangers that Stones and friends have been repeatedly dropping all season. And, the wonders will never cease, Falcao seems to have sorted out his shooting boots.