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MON day: a fine start?
image: Addic_tedKevin
M Salut offers some advice to Martin O’Neill on the fines he may wish to consider imposing after yesterday’s defeat-from-the-jaws-of-victory at Molineux …
The competition – click here – to come up with a new name for Martin O’Neill column at Salut! Sunderland is still open.
OK, the new manager does not yet know he’s to have one. But whether he chooses to sent out post-match e-mails or rely on simple statements and comments, his thoughts will be distilled on these pages just as Steve Bruce’s were.
Out, then, with Bruce’s Banter and – after its solitary appearance yesterday – Black’s Bluster and in with The O’Neill opinion, Martin’s Musings, O’Neill On Us, O’Neill’s O’Natterings or any of the others already or still to be suggested. MON – and yes, I could always wait until Monday each week before posting his comments and call the column, as above, MON day, but I won’t – should not feel disqualified from offering his own preferred name.
This is what he had to say yesterday:
“It’s a nice feeling to be back in football and obviously I’m very excited about joining Sunderland,” he said. It’s a big moment and I’m hoping it works out well. Naturally I want to do well for the fans, the team and myself. If we can combine all this and start winning football matches it would be terrific.
All I can say, without promising the earth, moon and stars is I will do my utmost to bring a bit of success to Sunderland. I would like it to be a really successful period and I’m going to try my best to achieve that. That’s what I’ve come for – that’s what I want to do.”
And there will be no complaints from Salut! Sunderland if, having witnessed the team throw away yet another promising matchday position and come away with nothing, he applies the following fines:
* Kieran Richardson: a month’s wages for his foolish yellow card for removing his short after scoring. I do not care how much the religious message means to him; it was hardly Billy Sharp territory, and was deeply unprofessional
* Seb Larsson: six weeks’ wages. Just two for the penalty miss, woeful as it was, his shot lacking power and aimed or mishit comfortably close to Hennessey. Four for a dive that gets within an inch of replac Barton’s feigned injury as the title of our “Who are You” question on cheating in football
* Wes Brown: a fortnight’s wages for his wholly inadequate response when the cross came in from which Fletcher scored the equaliser. Ditto Lee Cattermole for putting himself on a yellow card yet again.
* Keiren Westwood: two days’ pay for spoiling his earlier good work, especially the terrific one-handed save in the first half, by gesticulating for hand ball instead of being 100 per cent focused on what might happen next (ball in net)
* Phil Dowd: his match fee for evening up the generous penalty decision by failign to spot that when Wolves went ahead, it was in a move that involved clear control of ball by hand (O’Hara) and the scorer (Fletcher again) returning from an offside position to convert the chance
On second thoughts, MON cannot fine the ref. But I trust him to look after the other disciplinary matters raised …
Tags: Keiren Westwood, Lee Cattermole, Martin O'Neill, Phil Dowd, Sebastian Larsson, Sunderland, Wes Brown, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Is there anyway to fine Black for his change to 4-5-1 formation, which clearly put us on the back foot and lost us any attacking threat we had? Thank god Quinn didn’t appoint the assistant manager this time around.
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Haven’t passed comment since trying to defend Bruce at the start of the season. Didn’t have any ammunition to launch a defence in recent weeks.
Would just like to take issue with the claim for handball – in full speed the ball just hits him, and there was no intent to handle. It was sheer luck (good for them and bad for us) that just about sums up our year so far. The football gods have clearly decreed that we were to suffer until MON takes over.
Thank those gods that he starts today.
First job – remove Catts as captain. He was Bruce’s man and from yesterday’s showing is ready to move with him. Never seen such a spineless performance – the amount of time he spent watching play from the wrong side of their midfield was shocking, and he looked as aimless as Bendtner (anyone want to tell him to get in the box ffs…).
Surprised you picked those four players in your article without mentioning those 2 who practically reduced us to 9 men for the second half.
I’ll be honest too – Black got a substitute right. Only thing is, Ryan Noble should have been on when they levelled – and not for Sess (ffs!!!). What chance does the kid have to get a goal in 4 minutes!?!?!?
I’m now going to ignore all the chat until we actually see MON’s side in action.
I’m expecting a few basic changes and three points. Patience is overrated and our players are better than they have been playing. Now it’s time for someone to prove it.
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Firstly, the suggestion of fines was meant light-heartedly (in most cases!) and yes, the rogues’ gallery might have been extended. Bendtner seemed to lose interest though his flick in the move for our goal was sublime. I also think it is the creativity gap that sends him out wide but he did let us down in the second half of the second half.
Cattermole? I agree. I think he is a liability. Someone asked on Twitter if my six weeks’ fine for Seb was fair, since that amount would surely be justified only for bringing the club into disrepute. I fell back on the ‘tongue-in-cheek” excuse but added that the dive could do just that.
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Talking of fines, I think Bendtner should have one for his disrepectful and childish behaviour during the minute’s silence/applause for Gary Speed. I am sure O’Neill will have noted it. There has been reference to his arrogance and immaturity in the past. If he stays I would think that O’Neill might be able to discipline him -but I actually wonder if he is worth keeping.
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I’d love to be a fly on the wall at O’Neill’s first meeting with the squad. I imagine, too, he’ll be having one-on-one sessions with them and telling a few home truths. We might see some behaviour modification.
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1st time poster – driven to it by the sheer joy of this appointment. Finally we have someone who knows how to get the best out of his players and who knows what it feels like to win something as a manager – not that I’m saying he’ll do it with us, don’t want to be labelled unrealistic or impatient or any other lazy tabloidism – but if we can’t get excited about this we might as well all go home.
I’m very much looking forward to hearing his M’ONologues.
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