Just watched a full replay. Before I thought a draw would have been fair, now

I see it as an utter & complete travesty.

We had two nailed on penalties, & a few more that Sunderland would have been given. if Wisdom was bookable, then Cattermole should have been sent off for his challenge on O'Neil.

For the 2nd goal, Bassong shouldn't have dawdled, but Kirchoff stuck his leg between Bassong's legs & didn't touch the ball.

Wisdom's penalty was probably fair - but extremely unlucky. It was initiated by Borini's poor control; Wisdom was tracking back with no great urgency when Borini let the ball bounce too far away from him, Wisdom saw a chance & went in fractionally too high, caught the ball at the top rather than centre & rolled over onto Borini's foot/ankle.

In the 2nd half Sunderland realised they could do what the Hell they liked & simply pushed & shoved Mbokani out of the way anytime he looked to threaten goal. Bassong got eased from under the ball as well.

I noticed the ref having a laugh & a chat with Borini at one stage. That I do not like.

Besides all that we had the most atrocious luck. It was typified by the shot that Brady had deflected that then hit Mannone; commentators said what a marvellous reflex save it was, but replays showed him jumping in Gumbyesque fashion after the ball hit him. Mbokani couldn't quite get enough on the ball to force it over the line, there was Redmond & Olsson's efforts as well.

Sour grapes? I don't care. It's what I saw. I also saw Sunderland make some great tackles & Defoe is a class act. We got some decisions - although never the important ones. Brady should have been booked for shoving Yedlin into the hoardings.

We played well - even Bassong, a talented footballer who is incapable of tempering his ability with a sense of pragmatism. Sometimes you just have to hoof the f**ker.

In a strange way I still feel we have a better chance than Sunderland. They won't have that much luck, or favourable bias, again, plus they'll be playing less naive defenders. We just need a lucky break - or, an absence of bad luck (like against the Baggies).

It's really not finished yet, not by a long chalk.

Posted By: dennis moore, Apr 18, 22:41:16