Sunderland vs. Arsenal (14th September)

[green gooner]

It will depend who limps back from international duty but I tip us to really do a job on them. New found optimism within the camp will galvanise the paper thin squad.

[northbank123]

Really looking forward to Ozil, haven't looked forward to a game like this for a while.

[BournemouthRED]

Can't come soon enough

[safcftm]

What are your thoughts on Di Canio's continued handling of the press? Bit ridiculous 3 games in to the season that he's reverted to criticising individuals (like with O'Shea) and still taking pot-shots at the players' motivation.

I like the bloke and I think its refreshing to see someone have a pop at some of the pampered millionaires who piss so many of us off every week (much though O'Shea is one of the few who can be exempt from that description) but, being honest, I'm not sure that its a tactic that will actually work in today's game, if the players get sick of the manager he's generally gone. I'm also a little bit concerned that when something goes well he takes credit for it and when it goes wrong he blames players (recently we came back to beat MK Dons in a league cup match, Wickham scored twice and immediately Di Canio said about how he'd had a chat with Wickham that week and built his confidence up etc, O'Shea makes a mistake and gets lambasted). I'm desperate to see him succeed and am right behind him at present but I think he needs to learn to keep some things in house, and if he's going to keep mouthing off he'll need to start backing it up with results, playing Larsson and Gardner in central midfield is a joke and for all his talk of hard work and training we could do with learning how to defend a set piece.

The transfer window has been a bit of a disappointment (not Di Canio's fault), the chairman is obviously sick of throwing good money after bad and has opted to tighten the belt which is sensible since we're losing money as a club but, equally, we've now lost 3 of our 4 best players from last season (Fletcher is still with us but Mignolet, Rose and Sessegnon are away) and I'm not convinced they've been adequately replaced (players like Borini and Dossena don't exactly set the pulses racing). We've a decent front 4 (Giaccherini, Fletcher, Altidore and Johnson) but its still a big risk, with a lot of ridiculously hard home games to come we're likely to be adrift at the bottom come December and then Di Canio will need his players fighting for him second half of the season. Letting star players go and being tight fisted about replacements tends to only lead in one direction, fingers crossed this time we escape.

With the buzz Arsenal will have from getting Ozil, coupled with their pace and the ridiculous disparity in quality, particularly in the middle of the pitch, I'm genuinely worried that this could be a pasting at home to a side that we normally put up a good fight against. Time will tell but I think the Gooners making the trip will be in for a good day. By the way, remember to get drinking in the city centre, fuck staying in Newcastle pre match, always a warm welcome in Sunderland for the Arsenal and with no home fan only pubs its well worth getting through and enjoying the afternoon there.

[I Hate Hleb]

Have a feeling winning this won't be as simple as some think. We never find it easy there - even when Sunderland have had poorer teams than this.

[1989]

I wanna see this team


------------------Shezza-----------------
Bac--------BFG----------Kos-------Gibbs
----------Flamini-------Ramsey-----------
Walcott------------Özil------------Cazorla
------------------Giroud------------------

[safcftm]

I wanna see this team


------------------Shezza-----------------
Bac--------BFG----------Kos-------Gibbs
----------Flamini-------Ramsey-----------
Walcott------------Özil------------Cazorla
------------------Giroud------------------

I bloody don't

[Steve_I]

I bloody don't

[wibble]

Anyone got a spare ticket for this one? (I've PM'd couple of folk in ticket thread but just adding request here as more attention-mods feel free to move!)

I usually go to these games with my mackem friend (safcftm-the one who talks shit about Bendtner) but not able to go to many games this season so haven't renewed my membership. PM me if u have a spare

As for game itself, we've struggled there in recent seasons but confident this time round- 3-1 arsenal

[safcftm]

Anyone got a spare ticket for this one? (I've PM'd couple of folk in ticket thread but just adding request here as more attention-mods feel free to move!)

I usually go to these games with my mackem friend (safcftm-the one who talks shit about Bendtner) but not able to go to many games this season so haven't renewed my membership. PM me if u have a spare

As for game itself, we've struggled there in recent seasons but confident this time round- 3-1 arsenal

Don't worry mate, I can always get you a ticket in the Sunderland end, I'm sure you'd find it exceptionally fun! Hopefully you get sorted with an Arsenal end ticket like, need to try and make sure we both get to this one, SAFC v Arsenal games might get a bit harder to get to once me lass gives birth (not due til mid March like so I'm hopeful of getting to both games this season, although I'll be gutted if its a couple of weeks early and fucks with me annual Emirates trip). As for "shit about Bendtner", you know you agree with me about his talents really. I actually suggested naming the baby after him (if its a bloke like), I said "how about Nicklas?", she thought I said "Nicholas" and wasn't keen on that, she was even less keen when she was informed I meant naming it after Bendtner, and she's already said no to Nyron and Jermain (yes, I fancied naming it after Defoe for a short while and am still suggesting Defoe as a middle name). I reckon me lass is in league with Chamakh (although hopefully it wasn't actually him that got her pregnant, I'd need to get Bendtner round in a ghostbuster costume to exorcise it)

[wibble]

Cheers for the offer but hopefully get tickets sorted in the arsenal end!!

As for the kid, why defoe?! Best leaving it to the missus on that evidence. What's the worst that could happen?
I'm sure you'd get over having a son called Marouane eventually

[OneBardGooner]

Cheers for the offer but hopefully get tickets sorted in the arsenal end!!

As for the kid, why defoe?! Best leaving it to the missus on that evidence. What's the worst that could happen?
I'm sure you'd get over having a son called Marouane eventually

Or a Daughter called Thierry!

[safcftm]

Cheers for the offer but hopefully get tickets sorted in the arsenal end!!

As for the kid, why defoe?! Best leaving it to the missus on that evidence. What's the worst that could happen?
I'm sure you'd get over having a son called Marouane eventually

Defoe due to being me favourite England player by far since Beckham stopped getting picked. Equally popular on here I wouldn't mind a girl called Ashley after me next favourite England player (Cole, not Young, I'm fucked if its being named after Ashley fucking Young - edit, shit, Mike Ashley, right, scrap that one as well then). Mind I love me lass but I'm not sure I could forgive her if she names my son after Chamakh, there are lines and that might well cross it. Thierry's a legend so thats okay, I wouldn't even mind having a little Bergkamp at a push, but with her being from Sunderland I doubt I need to worry about those two happening!

Hope you get sorted in the Arsenal end, I'll look forward to a few pints on the day of the game. The strippers have moved now by the way, its still that talentless "Wee Phillie" twat doing it but having killed Idols and Privilege he's now moved onto (at least) his third place. It'll be closed by next season so enjoy it while its here

[wibble]

So naming your child after a spuds player or a *word censored* then?! Ban him

Yeah always a classy day/night out in Sunderland
looks like I've got ticket sorted in arsenal end now so will text you when it arrives in post and we'll arrange when/where we're meeting (as probably hi-jacked this thread enough! will leave it now for others to discuss actual game!)

[Leedsgooner1]

On a similar note, my wife was expecting our first child 14 years ago & i had the name Charlie after the great Nicholas all ready to go so when it was a girl instead of the expected boy i persuaded her to use Charlie & 14 years later she is still a right Charlie