Agree about the injuries/fatigue etc but as for the "let them win it" - I would've loved to win it last season. would've been one of the highlights of my Sunderland support. Any trophy is a good trophy to win IMO. Think it was a big deal to a lot of us last season.
Swindon and the Mercantile Credit tournament in the late 80s (88 I think) I went to 7 too, but missed the cup final last year due to an afternoon gig!! Really gutted at the time (and still think we'd have won if Curtis had been sent off as he should've been in the first 10 minutes!)
Both that and play offs a massive let down last season, I just want automatic promotion this year, hopefully we win the league but I'll take 2nd.
There won;t be a single Sunderland fan arguing with that!! 2nd will be great!! That said - I'll still be going to the play off final if we get there!!!
I'd be happy with 1st, 2nd or winning the play offs!! But, as you say, the play offs might be the death of us all!!!
The biggest let down for me these games was that our fans were so bloody quiet for the second half against Portsmouth and the whole game against Charlton.. I honestly believe this may have played a major part in losing both games.
A lot of fans seem to get hung up on originality. I thought the Allez allez chant by the Charlton fans sounded class, but the idea of us singing it was derided by many.
It was just dead in our end regardless of songs,and all the noise in support of our opponents must have been an inspiration for them..
I never say no more.. The Roker Roar was lost in the last years of Roker, but the support in the early years of the SoL was fantastic with the Mexican waves and chanting and roaring all round the stadium. Hopefully one day we will get this back and could learn a lesson from some of the smaller clubs at this level who back their teams to the hilt..
All studs above the shin pad on Hume I think. Awful challenge. Potential leg breaker. But “common sense” prevailed!