Season Kicks Off Today...

[Detomah]

So, the season finally gets underway again after 90 days of depression and with my beloved Sunderland featuring in the very first match...

What are your predictions for the season?

Heres mine:

Champions

1. Manchester Utd

Champions League Places

2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal

UEFA Cup

5. Tottenham Hotspurs
6. Newcastle (god damn it)

Bottom 3

18. Fulham
19. Wigan
20. Derby

I think Sunderland and Birmingham will finish a respectable 16th and 17th and although Roy Keane says survival aint in his vocabulary, 16th or 17th would suit me fine after 19 and 15 points in our last 2 attempts.

So what do you think?

Oh and the excitement is too much... I'm praying we can get off to a good start today and either beat Spurs or at least get a draw to get that first essential point on the board, but it's going to be real tough with Spurs strike force on fire throughout pre-season.

[-Honchy-]

Well it just got easier for you... Dawson is injured so we're playing Kaboul (untested 21yr old) and Gardner (want a penalty?).
I think you'll score today, but I can also see Spurs scoring 2 or 3. *fingers crossed*

Our team looks weak today, it's almost embarassing ><

[-Honchy-]

What a ****-poor first half display... Why is Bent on the bench? Bent was born to score against teams like this, the Sunderland back line was on the half way line at one point.... Bent would have torn them to shreds.
And why is Malbranque on the left?... he has no left foot, Tainio isnt a winger, but atleast he can use his left foot, stick him on the left and Malbranque on the right? atm we have two right footed players on the left and therefore no width.

And Alan Wiley is fkin awful, the pen decision was probably right, but some of the other decisions have been shocking. So many lil niggling fouls missed.

[Detomah]

Originally Posted by -Honchy-

What a ****-poor first half display... Why is Bent on the bench? Bent was born to score against teams like this, the Sunderland back line was on the half way line at one point.... Bent would have torn them to shreds.
And why is Malbranque on the left?... he has no left foot, Tainio isnt a winger, but atleast he can use his left foot, stick him on the left and Malbranque on the right? atm we have two right footed players on the left and therefore no width.

And Alan Wiley is fkin awful, the pen decision was probably right, but some of the other decisions have been shocking. So many lil niggling fouls missed.

Pen decision? You watching the same match as me, there was nothing there at all, right decision from Wiley on that one for sure.

I reckon Bent will make his proper debut in the second half, as will Chopra for us.

Sunderland didn't look great in the first half, but Spurs looked really poor considering the strikeforce they have. Sunderland certainly look a lot better than we did 2 seasons ago.

It's bound to be a fairly poor match though, the first one generally is, I reckon the second half will be a bit better though and i'm pretty sure both teams will have good chances to get goals.

[-Honchy-]

what a rubbish performance... we deserved to lose, gratz sunderland. Berbatov was utter ****e, Keane was crap as well... I CANNOT beleive that Jenas still gets picked for CM, he has NEVER played well for Spurs.

and yea, thats why i said 'the pen decision was probably right..'

[Detomah]

lol, oh yeah, missed that bit, was a little excited seeing us being still in the game at half time...

C'mon

3 points on the board for Sunderland... Chopra...

Not to be a bad sport Honchy but Spurs will get a shed load of points this season and will finish somewhere between 3rd and 5th, every possible point for us is really special, especially after our last 2 efforts at the Premiership, so as you can imagine, i'm bloody chuffed to bits...

Na na na na na na na Keano.....

[-Honchy-]

I don't care tbh, Spurs were ****... Jol's tactics and subs are shocking, consistently shocking.
Spurs cannot afford to drop points against promoted teams like that, the league is tougher than ever... I seriously beleive that result has taken a huge chunk out of our season.

[Detomah]

Originally Posted by -Honchy-

I seriously beleive that result has taken a huge chunk out of our season.

You may be right, but from my point of view, Sunderland's confidence was in the balance and we needed to get a goal as quickly as possible and points on the board as soon as possible to have any chance at all of staying up and now we've got both, it will have added a huge amount of confidence to the team, so quite selfishly, i'm bloody delighted.

I think Spurs problem today was mainly the service to the forwards, if that killer instinct had been there and pace in the shape of Bent earlier on as you said, I think we could have been dead and buried, but at the same time, Sunderland did defend fairly well and we did limit the chances you had.

I think another slight problem may have been under estimating Sunderland, I saw Spurs a few times last season and when they decide to play they are s**t hot and deadly. I just hope for your sake they aint gonna suffer the same as they did last season wit their away form.

But anyway... I aint going to dwell on it... Both teams clearly have to improve, but points is points, so...

[Seth]

Sunderland won!?

* Seth phones Hell to check on the central heating

[Detomah]

Originally Posted by Stealthio

Sunderland won!?

* Stealthio phones Hell to check on the central heating

Let it be said, that on this day in history, hell hath frozen over.....