Sunderland v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[nornironvillain]

enjoyed that

been a decent few days - maybe with a bit of confidence going we can sneak a point or 2 in our next 3 league games

wish we could leave out the MO'N stuff, we are bigger than that and it sounds very Bluenoseish

[Richie]

Absolutely chuffed with the win today. Given the run of games coming up, we desperately needed to get a bit of breathing space above the bottom 3. The fact we are still 17th is neither here or there, it's the 5 point gap that's important.

A lot of posts saying how poor Sunderland are, but fact is that was their first home defeat in the league this season.

I was seriously worried after the Norwich game (who have now won 3 and drawn 1 of the last 4 !) but what a difference a week can make.

Benteke is looking a better and better signing by the week.   

[eastie]

Absolutely chuffed with the win today. Given the run of games coming up, we desperately needed to get a bit of breathing space above the bottom 3. The fact we are still 17th is neither here or there, it's the 5 point gap that's important.

A lot of posts saying how poor Sunderland are, but fact is that was their first home defeat in the league this season.

I was seriously worried after the Norwich game (who have now won 3 and drawn 1 of the last 4 !) but what a difference a week can make.

Benteke is looking a better and better signing by the week.   

Hopefully qpr will draw with reading tomorrow to keep a decent gap between us and the bottom 3.

[pestria]

Not sure why Ireland is getting a slagging again, he screws things up at times but he also makes things happen in the final third.

I'm a massive critic of Ireland and have strongly argued he offers absolutely nothing going forward - no pace, no assists, no goals, but ...... I have to admit he does make himself available for a pass, giving the defence and the rest of midfield an alternative outlet rather than a long ball down the centre or into the channel - as a result we look a much better team.

[The Man With A Stick]

O'Neill's effusing over that thug Cattermole sums up why I hate his approach to football.

Unbelievably, he was bigging him up for an England call-up the other day, the talentless thug.

[Legion]

O'Neill's effusing over that thug Cattermole sums up why I hate his approach to football.

Unbelievably, he was bigging him up for an England call-up the other day, the talentless thug.

"We made Cattermole cry."

[Fin Feds Dad]

enjoyed that

been a decent few days - maybe with a bit of confidence going we can sneak a point or 2 in our next 3 league games

wish we could leave out the MO'N stuff, we are bigger than that and it sounds very Bluenoseish

Disagree entirely - been waiting for this day since he walked out 4 days before the season started and then screwed millions out the club after he had gone.

And as for sounding bluenoseish - words fail me .

[onje_villa]

That's more like it.  Really good performance today and we were worthy winners.  Ireland can be hit and miss, but not many other players spot the sort of opportunities he does.  Bannan played really well, as did Benteke, Vlaar and Gabby.  And O'Neill's effusing over that thug Cattermole sums up why I hate his approach to football.

I can wear a player like Ireland being hit and miss.

Comes with the territory, creative but mercurial talents are often like that.  Except for the very best.
It's when your centre halves and other defenders are hit and miss, ike Dunne the last two years and like Vlaar this season that you can have problems (In fairness to Concrete, he has looked better these last few games).

I would have expected a few more assists off Ireland though, if I'm honest. 

Maybe in some games he's trying to do too much or- like last season- he's been played too deep. 

Would be good if our midfield was solid enough to say 'don't worry about anything else, just operate in the final third.'  At the moment we can't really do that though.

Yep, he looked better today when playing up top just behind Benteke

[Legion]

enjoyed that

been a decent few days - maybe with a bit of confidence going we can sneak a point or 2 in our next 3 league games

wish we could leave out the MO'N stuff, we are bigger than that and it sounds very Bluenoseish

Disagree entirely - been waiting for this day since he walked out 4 days before the season started and then screwed millions out the club after he had gone.

And as for sounding bluenoseish - words fail me .

To start with, O'Neill did a lot of good in many respects. Then came the bizarre signings, the round-peg in square-hole player line-ups and the lack of a Plan B when Plan A was not working. His stock fell after the Moscow debacle and crumbled when he left us in the shit 5 days before the start of the season. I'll never forgive him for that.

[damon loves JT]

Revenge is a dish best served with a side order of pubes.

I can't remember being that nervous about a game since, oh, Tuesday.

Thank you everyone for a most enjoyable post-match thread. Makes it all worthwhile.

[Lambert and Payne]

I never used to mind Sunderland, I always preferred them to Newcastle and spoke to many fans when they come down and they were level headed honest and easy to get along with.
Since pubehead took over I've looked for their result straight after Villa and Cheltenhams, I'm delighted they're struggling and love seeing him squirm, since the day he walked out I've regarded him as nothing but a judas, I bought into the O'neill vision and loved having him here, media was positive about us, we were fearless and in cup finals. Looking back shown me he was purely a short term manager, it was shit or bust and he failed, walked out and blamed it on Lerner for not shoving a load of cash for him to buy the next Emile Heskey.

Todays result was sweet, it showed that tides are turning, were becoming a team again slowly, while he enters the final stages of his career and the few idea's he had have been found out.
I'll quite happily forget about him now until we next play them, as soon as he's sacked I'll get back to not minding Sunderland.

Despite all that though, 3 points is the most important part of the day, lets hope results go our way tomorrow and maybe we can dream of beating Manure?

UTV

[ciggiesnbeer]

Fucking hell, nasty.. Shoulda been sent off.

Ouch. I thought Gabby & Carlos were mates?

[Legion]

I doubt it was malicious. Just badly timed.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I doubt it was malicious. Just badly timed.

Like a lot of his challenges.

[claret and blue blood]

Bloody lovely to savour a win , an away win in perfect circumstances , justifying a lot of the optimism and to be fair the sensible patience shown so far . We may not have many "stars" but give me  a team proud to wear the shirt and give it everything any day.
Just chuffed and you can see light at the end of the tunnel!