Where Have You Gone Paulo Di Canio?

Celebrations like this were few at Di Canio's Sunderland (BBC Sports)

Breaking news from the world of the obvious.  After less than six months at the helm of Sunderland, lightning rod Paulo Di Canio has been dismissed.  Sunderland slumped out of the gate to just 1 point in it's opening five matches.  This is all in spite of Di Canio's summer renovations bringing 14 new players to the club including American international Jozy Altidore.

Di Canio has always had his critics at Sunderland, partly from his lack of coaching experience.  His big post prior to the Black Cats was managing lower league Swindon Town.  Couple this lack of experience with his previous fascist leanings and you get what was a very controversial appointment in the first place.  Di Canio has renounced these political persuasions, but it all ended up in a perfect storm that made sure that Di Canio could not overcome his poor start in the Barclay's Premier League.

Early money in the betting markets has dabbed former Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has Di Canio's successor, while LA Galaxy boss Bruce Arena has been named as a rumor mill possibility as well.  American fans will have a keen interest in the goings on at the Stadium of Light, as a new manager's style could help make or break Altidore's playing time going into next year's World Cup.  The move to Sunderland was always considered a risk for Jozy, and right now seems even more precarious in Di Canio's wake.

Sunderland Pummels Flat Looking West Ham

Seb Larsson celebrates his opening goal vs West Ham. (Telegraph.co.uk)

Saturday was a largely forgettable day across the EPL with several 0-0 draws.  For Sunderland supporters, however, it was just what the doctor ordered, in the form of a visit from West Ham.  Though higher in the table, the Hammers have been struggling on the road this year, and they've yet to really get their transfer acquisitions into the mix.

From the opening whistle it appeared that the Black Cats were just going to smother West Ham, who came out awfully dull and flat.  They rarely pushed Sunderland in possession and were beaten to nearly every loose ball by a Sunderland squad who knew they desperately needed the three points to distance themselves from the drop zone.  Throughout the opening ten minutes Sunderland worked methodically to stitch the Hammers closer into their own penalty area, and everyone could feel the pressure build.  The said pressure finally paid off in the 12th minute when Sebastian Larsson collected the ball near the top of the penalty arc and smashed a drive into the back of the Hammers net to make it 1-0.

West Ham started to wake up after conceding the goal, but had a really hard time stringing 3-4 passes together, let alone really threatening up in the offensive third.  Newly acquired Joe Cole could not find hardly any time on the ball, and what service that was sent into Carlton Cole was poor.  Finally Matt Jarvis prodded Simon Mignolet out of his easy chair in the 20th minute, but his low shot went pretty much right to the center of the goal and was easily collected.  It would be West Ham's only real chance of the half. 

Sunderland did get a decent look at doubling their lead in the 26th minute when Stephane Sessegnon collected the ball at the top of his offensive third and gave James Collins the traffic cone treatment before rushing onto goal.  Unfortunately for the Sunderland faithful his shot was rather off balance, sailing well wide of the goal and sealing the 1-0 scoreline going into the interval.

It didn't take long for Sunderland to widen the gap after halftime though.  Sessegnon freed James McClean on goal in a 1v1 situation, but Jussi Jaaskelainen showed fine form to perry the shot toward West Ham defender Daniel Potts.  However, instead of at least clearing the ball out for a corner kick, Potts tried to bundle the ball back to his keeper, and Sunderland pounced.  Steven Fletcher got in the way and took a shot from point blank range that was again well saved by Jaaskelainen, but it didn't go away from danger and effectively took the West Ham shot stopper out of the play.  Adam Johnson was on hand for Sunderland and easily tapped into the gaping net to make it 2-0 on 47 minutes.

Sunderland kept their foot on the gas and iced the points in minute 74.  Sessegnon had a close range shot blocked, but it deflect out to McClean, who threaded the ball into the net from a difficult, but possible, angle to make it 3-0.

As for West ham, they never really got off the ground in the second half either.  They subbed in Arsenal loan man Marouane Chamakh to try to provide some punch, but it didn't really help as he never got the required service either.  His one contribution came in the 64th minute when he headed a ball embarrassingly wide off a corner kick.

In the end, Sunderland easily mopped up the points to move up to 25, just one behind West Ham and six points clear of the relegation zone.  Both teams will face FA Cup replays later this week.

EPL: Blackburn vs. Sunderland

Yakubu sports his "Pray 4 Muamba" shirt after scoring. (Premierleague.com)

Don't look now, but the Blackburn Rovers are not only out of the bottom three, but actually putting some distance between themselves and the bottom of the table. Coming into this home match vs Sunderland. they were seeking back to back Barclay's Premier League wins for the first time this season. Sunderland played a tough FA Cup match with Everton on the weekend, and were dealing with several suspensions. The recipe was just right for a Rovers victory.

It was Rovers who got the first chance on goal. In the third minute Yakubu took a pass from Junior Hoilett and squirted free on goal. His shot beat the 'keeper, and looked to be going inside the near post, only to have Craig Gardner knock it off the line.

Blackburn continued to control most of the first half, as Sunderland looked horrible. Martin Olsson had two shots come close in the 10th minute. His first look was saved, the rebound fell to him, but he put the shot wide. Still Sunderland was able to hold on and a scrappy first half ended 0-0.

Blackburn really started to turn the screw in the second half. Mauro Formica sent a great volley in on goal in the 53rd minute only to have Mignolet knock it away. Then in the 59th minute, Mignolet punched away a long throw in, but it fell right to Hoilett, who slammed the volley into the back of the net to give Rovers the 1-0 lead.

At that point all eyes turned to Sunderland to see if they would respond. They really didn't, and continued to struggle. They did get one chance at an equalizer though. In the 79th minute the ball fell to Dong-Won Ji right in front of the goal, but he totally missed the sitter and Blackburn maintained the lead.

They expounded on their lead late and sealed the points. In the 86th minute, Bradley Orr sent a cross into the area and Yakubu rose and headed the ball into goal to make it 2-0. For his celebration, Yakubu pulled up his jersey and showed a "Pray 4 Muamba" shirt. Another classy move as the league rallies around the fallen Bolton midfielder.

Rovers held on for the 2-0 win and the 3 points actually moves them 6 points clear of the relegation zone. It's still not total safety, but you can see that the team is coming together a little bit, and I think they just might stay up. For Sunderland, it was a less than memorable performance, but they really didn't have much at stake in the league.

EPL: Sunderland vs. Manchester City

This really was a remarkable New Year's weekend in the Barcaly's Premier League. Nobody in the top 4 won. Manchester United was beaten at home by Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea was humiliated at the Bridge by Aston Villa, and Tottenham dropped points away to Swansea. This gave City a real chance to put a little distance between themselves and their title challengers.

However, it's also in the middle of the congested festive period, where managers are forced to try to juggle their lineups to keep people fresh. Roberto Mancini did just that, resting Silva, Aguero, and Richards. Sunderland knew they weren't facing the classic City side, and looked to take advantage.

Sunderland got one of the best chances of the match almost right off the bat. Nicklas Bendtner charged down the pitch on a counter on the 3rd minute, earning himself a one on one with Joe Hart. However, the England 'keeper made a great play, forcing the Sunderland striker to angle wide then taking to the ground to stop his shot. The Sunderland counter attack would be the pattern for the day.

Man City's best chances of the half mostly came in a period from about the 30th-35th minute, and were pretty much all fashioned by Edin Dzeko. He forced the Sunderland 'keeper into a great save on 33 minutes, and hit the bar in the 35th. Adam Johnson also beat the 'keeper in the 33rd, only to see his shot cleared off the line. The teams went to the locker rooms still scoreless.

After the lackluster first half, Roberto Mancini decided to make some changes, knowing what was on the line. Sergio Aguero came in to start the second half and both Silva and Richards would enter before the final whistle. While it did seem like they helped City grab even more control of the game, they still couldn't find the back of the Sunderland net.

They did have have their chances though. In the 79th minute Edin Dzeko again found his way into a golden chance but saw his header just float wide of the corner of the goal. Then in the 87th minute, City looked sure to score as David Silva forced a save from the 'keeper that rebounded right to Micah Richards. However, despite the open net, Richards saw his header clang off the bar.

Sunderland took advantage of City's failures in stoppage time. In the third of three minutes, they found themselves coming up the pitch one last time. Seemingly blocked off in the 18, Sessegnon found a way to dish the ball out to Dong-Won-Ji, who rounded Joe Hart and dropped the ball into the the net to give Sunderland the 1-0 win on the last kick of the game.

The only problem was, Ji was a mile offside and it was missed by everybody, including the linesman that was coming up behind the play. City didn't argue the goal at the time, but I'm sure they were fuming when they saw the replay. However, in the end the blame has to fall on them for not taking their chances on not mopping up Sunderland's counters. A huge miss for City that might end up being a big deal in the title race.


Ji's final kick...(AP Images/Fox Soccer)

Sunderland Appoint Martin O'Neill As New Manager

The wait to see who would follow Steve Bruce as manager at Sunderland wasn't long. Various outlets began reporting that Martin O'Neill was the favorite, and the club confirmed it today. The former Aston Villa manager signed a 3 year deal.

O'Neill will not manage the club Sunday at Wolves. He will officially take over on Monday.

O'Neill won the European Cup as a player, and has managerial experience with other clubs including Norwich and Celtic, as well as Villa.

Steve Bruce Sacked at Sunderland

Steve Bruce's time as manager at the Stadium of Light is history. It's been a tough year for the Black Cats. Last weekend, they lost at home to Wigan, and that seemed to have been the last straw. Currently Sunderland sit only two points above the relegation zone.

Assistant Eric Black will be the interim manager while Sunderland looks for their next head man.

Bruce guided the Black Cats to finishes of 13th and 10th in his previous two seasons.

EPL: Liverpool vs. Sunderland

Well I guess Sunderland missed the memo on how great Liverpool is supposed to be this year.

Of course, I got the memo, and this result aside, I do think the Reds are gonna be tough all year, and I fully expect them to be in contention for the Champions League Spots. Unfortunately, King Kenny's side didn't get the start they hoped for this weekend. Not that Sunderland played a wonderful match, but Liverpool failed to put them away, and Sunderland took the only chance they needed to get out of Anfield with a point.

It started out promising enough for the Reds. In the 4th minute, Luis Suarez went down in the box under a bit of a push from Kieran Richardson, who appeared to be the last man. The referee awarded a PK, but instead of sending Richardson off for denying a clear goal scoring opportunity, he issued the defender a yellow. King Kenny was furious, but apparently the referee's thought process was that Suarez was moving away from goal so the incident only merited the yellow. Suarez subsequently skied the PK way over the bar, and the score remained 0-0.

However, neither Suarez nor Liverpool were going to let the miss keep them down long. In the 12th minute, Charlie Adam sent a beautiful free kick into the box, and Suarez headed it past the keeper to make it 1-0 to Liverpool.

The Reds fashioned several more chances prior the to the break. Charlie Adam absolutely nailed a shot from about 30 that just managed to stick to the keeper's glove. Then shortly before the half, Stewart Downing sent a total cracker off the cross bar, and we went to the half at 1-0.

Liverpool had a hard time finding their mojo in the second half though. The fluid passing game fell by the wayside, and Sunderland realized they were still in the match. They got their break almost out of thin air in the 57th minute when Sebastian Larsson found himself on the end of an Elmohamady cross. The Swedish midfielder hit an awesome volley toward the top corner, and Reina had no chance. The goal equalized the match at 1-1.

Down the stretch the match gradually fell apart for both sides. It degenerated into a stop/start match with many fouls and yellows flying all over. In the end, neither team managed anymore great chances, and the match finished at 1-1.

Disappointing for Liverpool, but a great result for Sunderland to start the season.

Jordan Henderson Moves to Liverpool

Looks like the Reds will be adding to their midfield fire power next season. They announced yesterday that they have completed a transfer deal for Sunderland MF Jordan Henderson.

Henderson has one senior cap for England, and is taking part in England's U-21 squad as they go for the European U-21 championship this summer.

Aston Villa striker and former Henderson teammate says he should do well at Liverpool with players such as Steven Gerrard to help him improve even more.

EPL Blurb: Sunderland vs. Wolves

I actually watched this whole match, but despite the goal count, it was rather pedestrian.

Sunderland started out well. The commentators were speculating that the Black Cats might already be on summer break, with their place in the Premier League for next year already secured. They came out hot on the attack, hitting the wood work and forcing Hennesy into a save or two, but couldn't notch a first half goal.

Wolves were slightly more fortunate and they need all the fortune they can get in the fight to stay up. They got agoal against the run of play in the 23rd as Craddock scored a nice volley off a cross to give the Wolves a 0-1 lead that held until the 34th minute, when Sessegnon scored a volley off of a corner for Sunderland that equalized at 1-1.

Wolves came out on fire in the second half, knowing they needed all 3 points. They got all 3, with goals from Fletcher in the 54th and Elokobi in the 78th. The 1-3 result gave Wolves a vital 3 points after beating West Brom, and puts them on an inside track to stay up. For Sunderland, well, nothing more to play for, so who cares?

Sunderland's Gordon (GK) out 4-6 months.

From The Original Winger:


Craig Gordon, Keeper for Sunderland AFC, had knee surgery yesterday and will be out of action for 4-6 months.

Gordon averaged 1.57 goals conceded per game in 15 appearances this season for Sunderland.