Time to Kop on and have a go
If their team of electricians and school teachers can manage to genuinely frighten Liverpool for a while, our multi-million pound assembly should at least be able to make an impact. It’s worrying that it’s taken a non-league team to prove it, but if you come out and have a go at top sides like that, you’ll do yourself more credit than hanging on and praying you might nick one on the break.
I always try and console myself that early cup exits are good, giving us a chance to recharge our batteries and try and escape the pressures that follow supporting Sunderland for a couple of weekends over the season. Unfortunately for me, our disappearance from the FA Cup meant getting drunk, arguing with mates’ girlfriends and making them cry. All I did was try and tell her about Sunderland’s away form this season.
Having criticised Roy Keane for his lack of transfer dealings last week, the last seven days have seen him go on something of a spree, signing two comedy names nobody has heard of from abroad and one of his old mates from Manchester United. It’s a big hello to M’voto, a young centre back signed from Paris St Germain, first of all. His acquisition looks an odd one. Unless he’s going to shine in the problematic full back position, it’s either Keane’s way of saying that the four centre halves we’ve already signed this season aren’t good enough, or he’s one for the future.
Next up is Rade Prica, plucked from the relative obscurity of Aalborg in Denmark, where he was top scorer with the league leaders there. His club revealed this week that they agreed a fee with Sunderland around Christmas, so it’s worrying that it took us nearly three weeks to agree personal terms, unless he’s our second choice to Ronaldinho. He arrives with a reputation as a physical player who loves a scrap; if he continues that at Sunderland he’ll be popular as long as it’s not the sort of scrapping Arsenal fans witnessed at White Hart Lane last week.
Phil Bardsley is a player Keane knows all about, having worked with him at Old Trafford and having been linked with him since the summer. We become the 22-year-old right back’s seventh club.
Fingers are crossed he can settle down here, as we need a quality player to fill the position more than your average American needs a diet.
Keane this week inadvertently revealed one reason progress has been slow in January’s window, saying: “None of our players are on silly money. If clubs ring up from the Championship, we are never a million miles apart.” When the likes of Matty Taylor and Robbie Savage talk about Bolton and Derby wanting them more, maybe it’s simply a case of us being out-muscled financially rather than Roy not offering enough custard creams with the cups of tea. If that’s the case, then after our megabucks recruitment spree, it’s a worry and needs to be addressed.
The one advantage we have over our relegation rivals is our home support, which is going to be vital in our remaining games. Despite season ticket prices going up for the first time in years this term, fans have shown their faith in Keane and Quinn with an average gate so far of 42,695. It might be a bit of a cliché that a good crowd can be the 12th man, but our best performances of the season have come in front of full houses at the Stadium of Light. In fact, our worst showing in Sunderland this season was against Wigan in the cup in front of a paltry, and disinterested, 20,821. It looks like we’ll be heading into the remainder of the season without the major transformation in personnel that many fans were hoping for after Roy Keane declared an end to our January transfer dealings at the weekend. I’m hoping he’s trying to force a few hands, but experience of following all things red and white has wiped the optimist out of me. If we can’t swap any more players, then let’s at least hope the results can change in the next few months.
Martyn McFadden www.a-love-supreme.com
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