There’s nothing quite like an international break to slow down the otherwise relentless march of time. They almost never feel welcome; if the team is in good form you can’t wait for the next game to maintain momentum, and if they’re struggling, you’re left to either ruminate over a loss for a fortnight or pretend to care about England labouring to a boring win against the semi-pros of some microstate. At least our lengthy list of international players gave us a bit of interest, though that comes
with the fear that one of them will pick up an injury in a pointless friendly, so it’s safe to say everyone was glad to see the back of it.
Here in the capital, a week of tube strikes only added to the sense of tedium, as we eagerly awaited our return to Premier League action in first fixture in London since that magnificent day at Wembley. The evening before the game did at least see a well-attended night in London Bridge for our branch social; it’s fantastic to see the London branch in such good health to match the club’s upward trajectory.
Our previous two visits to Selhurst Park saw a late Defoe winner, and that hilariously aberrant 4-0 win under David Moyes, so this season’s trip had a lot to live up to if it was to match it. Palace are definitely one of the more likable London clubs; down-to-Earth fans, a strong connection with their local community, and some highly entertaining players to watch, such as Mateta and Wharton. The Eagles would offer a stern test, being on the longest unbeaten run in the league, but perhaps our pragmatic style would stand us in good stead, and the home team were without a couple of key players, so it was far from the home banker that the likes of Chris Sutton would have you believe.
There must have been a few groans down at Met Police HQ when they saw the day’s schedule, with a mixture of London derbies, Leeds United in town, and various political protests to top it all off. In the pre-match pub in Brixton, we caught most of the early kick-off between Arsenal and Forest – the prospect of watching our counterattacks against Ange Postecolgou’s kamikaze football made me even more gutted to be missing out on that trip at the end of the month. Organising a wedding during the football season is nothing short of selfish, if you ask me.
When the team was announced, it was disappointing to see Le Fée miss out after such a sublime performance from the Frenchman last time out, but our squad depth is a lot healthier these days so his absence wasn’t the hammer blow it might have been last season. The weather veered chaotically between sunshine and downpours as we kicked off attacking the far end, where one of the corner flags was completely blocked from view – one of the quirks of these old school grounds. The Lads put in an assured performance in the first half, looking very comfortable on the ball, efficient as a unit and mostly solid at the back, even if Talbi’s chance was the only real opening we managed to carve out all game.
Sadly less efficient was the service on the concourse at half time – it always baffles me that even Premier League clubs haven’t cottoned on to the fact that many football fans are partial to pints of lager, so it might be a bright idea to pour them in advance rather than have a couple of overworked students frantically pouring out bottles into plastic cups. By the time I reached the front the only pies left were of the vegan variety, but I carried it back to my seat to see if we could build on our promising first half. The Eagles improved after the break and started to pile on the pressure in the closing stages, but thankfully our popular new Dutch stopper was a man possessed between the sticks, and we were able to celebrate a hard-earned point in what was always going to be a tricky away assignment.
Overall, the day summed up why life is so good as a Sunderland fan right now. The atmosphere in the away end was outstanding; it was great to hear some hilarious new chants for our recent recruits, and the supporters backed brilliantly the team throughout even when we were under pressure. It already feels like the bond between the people in the stands and on the pitch is just as strong as it was last year – perhaps even more so, which will be crucial to achieving our objectives.
Outside observers may turn their noses up at us for celebrating a goalless draw, but seven points from four games is an excellent return for a promoted side, and most importantly we continue to look a competitive outfit at the level. Hopefully the coming weeks will see our forward line start to click as well as the defence and midfield have done, and we can look forward to watching what we’ve craved since our exile from the Premier League; a committed, talented and well-organised Sunderland side, holding its own against the country’s best.
