Banana skin time down at Red Star last Saturday. My reporter tells me that most of the time we looked to have the game under control, even after we missed a penalty and they then got one back, all in the last minute of the first half. And another injury, this time to Charlo, looks like a hamstring so likely won’t be a quick return. Still, Red Star are a decent side and came at us hard in a harum scarum last half hour when there were chances at both ends and the Seaham lads took theirs. A good one for the neutrals I guess. Overall though we seem to be clocking along nicely at the minute. Which is more than can be said for the boys at the SoL. Manager sacked, followed by instant improvement in results. Err, hang on bit, that doesn’t sound right.
I watched the last couple of Sunderland games on the telly and my opinion, which you are welcome to, is that the players are alright by and large, although no more than that, and the tactics and formation were much better down at Boro, but when you are down at the bottom you need bit more than just basics to get out of it. Inspiration, luck and the run of things don’t seem to be with those boys at the moment. The statistical probabilities get worse by the game, and they need something more than just playing OK now.
I also watched the games on the telly on Sunday and for once they were both well worth viewing. City are a bit hot going forward, as you will know, but to be fair Arsenal, in their usual tappy-lappy, twenty passes to go nowhere style, did give them something of a game, and if it wasn’t for their addiction to the aforementioned tappy-lappy routine, not to mention an offside goal allowed by a perfectly placed linesman, might have got something from the match. So, no change from the Arsenal then.
The better game by far though was the Chelsea United match in which a determined if wasteful bunch of foreign cockneys managed to prevail against a cynical and cunning bunch of foreign Mancs. Makes you proud to be British. I am beginning to sound like Mr Garage. Mourinho used all of his tactical wiles, which principally involves instructing his players to take careful turns in fouling the opposition. He nearly got it wrong, but just in time managed to remove the hapless and hopeless Phil Jones before he got sent off. Even the assistance of the chairman of the MUFC supporters club who seemed to be refffing the match was not quite enough to get United a result. The game's not straight I tell you.