Mackems In trouble (as usual).Venue: Stadium of Blight, Blunderland. Date: Sun 27th Oct, 2013. Kick off: 1.30pm. Referee: Lee Probert. UK TV: Sky Sports.
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to our ‘match banter’ for this day of days, the Wear-Tyne derby, this time at the Stadium of Blight.
As I pointed out in my extensive match preview for this game, the fiasco which transpired at St James Park last season was just an aberration, an exception that proves the rule as that was the only Tyne – Wear derby Sunderland have won out of the last eleven.
As if that wasn’t enough, Sunderland haven’t won a single Premier League game in their last twelve. Their last league victory was a narrow 1-0 win over Everton way back in April, which was the game after that abovementioned defeat for Newcastle in the last Derby. Since then they have been nosediving headlong into catastrophe even more than they usually do. This should be a lesson to them not to have the temerity to beat us in any more local derbies! (more…)
It's that time of the season again.Venue: Stadium of Blight, Blunderland. Date: Sunday, 22nd Oct. Kick off: 1:30pm Referee: Martin Atkinson. UK TV: Sky Sports 1.
Well, it’s that time of the season again, a time when Shola Ameobi emerges from the shadows to nudge aside Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo and become the most potent goalscoring force in world football. Will he do it again? Will he even start? Will the Mackems once again be tramping back to their Wearside hovels in abject despair? Of course, this is what usually happens as Sunderland have won only one of their last 15 games against Newcastle (W1, D6, L8). Indeed, they have won only one of their last 14 Premier League games against any Premiership team (W1, D9, L4) as Mackem manager, Martin O’Neill, desperately tries to get his side into top gear. Let us hope it isn’t in this game, as like the team from the land that time forgot, we have had a few problems of our own turning draws into victories. (more…)
Toon take on the daydream believersGood morning Toonsters. It’s a biggie today as Newcastle look to try and do the double over the Wearsiders.
With both Sunderland and Newcastle having been unceremoniously dumped out of the FA Cup by lower league opposition and with just 5 points and 3 places separating the teams in the Premier League, both teams start this game on a fairly even keel.
Given that they’re slightly above us in the league and have the home advantage, Sunderland are probably favourites for this one, but we do have the 5-1 thrashing we gave them at our place as a psychological ‘upper’.
But I reckon all bets are off anyway. Derby matches are unique and unpredictable and things like ‘current form’ don’t always count for much in them. (more…)
