Sunderland ~ General Chat & Latest News

[Freddy Adu]

Only good thing out of this again is that Ronaldo is on my fantasy team

[Brasil]

Sunderland get yourselves together.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# - Hello, welcome to our coverage of this afternoon's Premiership clash between Manchester United and Sunderland at The Stadium of Light.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 3 There were an amazing five red cards in the Premier League's three early kick-offs; will the players be able to control themselves here?

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 90 ALL OVER! United cruise to a comfortable victory, capped by Saha's late penalty. They go top of the Premier League - if only for a few hours...

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 88 To their credit, Sunderland are still working hard - they have just been outclassed today by a ruthless United performance.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 5 Plenty of changes for United this afternoon as Sir Alex Ferguson shuffles his pack at the start of the busy festive period.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 7 Early chance for United to test Gordon in the United goal as Ronaldo lines up a free-kick....Ronaldo blasts it with power, but Gordon punches clear.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 10 ETUHU! The big midfielder manages to get outside his man before before firing in a left-foot effort...six yards wide.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 13 Sunderland have started brightly here; no sign that manager Roy Keane has told his men to try and contain United or play for a draw.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 17 GOAL! ROONEY OPENS THE SCORING! The burly striker beats the off-side trap, gets on to Wes Brown's pass, strolls through an enormous hole in the Sunderland defence before rolling a shot under Gordon.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 22 SHAMBOLIC! Sunderland have the chance to test the United keeper when they are handed a free-kick on the edge of the box...only for a misunderstanding between the players taking the set-piece sees the chance disappear!

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 84 GOAL! Nani is brought down by Collins, who just catches the heels of the winger as he burst into the area; Saha steps up to roll the penalty down the middle and give United a fourth.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 25 Sunderland are going to be in for a long afternoon unless they can find a way to put the shackles on United wingers Nani and Ronaldo.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 26 Fletcher is booked for a challenge that leaves Ross Wallace on the turf; very harsh booking from referee Uriah Rennie.

[Oscar Cardozo]

# 27 GOAL! UNITED ARE ON A ROLL! Rooney picks up a good ball down the left from Ronaldo; the striker cuts inside before curling a low cross in to Saha, who sidefoots home from close range.

[Freddy Adu]

Rooney ready for festive season pressure points


Written by: AFP

	Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney during the Premiership match against Liverpool at Anfield in Liverpool, north-west England, December 16. Rooney admits the pressure is on Manchester United to maintain a 100 percent record through the Christmas period if they are to make progress in their bid to overhaul league leaders Arsenal.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Wayne Rooney admits the pressure is on Manchester United to maintain a 100 percent record through the Christmas period if they are to make progress in their bid to overhaul league leaders Arsenal.

The narrow victory over Everton ensured the reigning Premier League champions kicked off the four-game programme with a vital win that kept Sir Alex Ferguson's side just one point off the top.

And with a tricky trip to Sunderland - managed by former United captain Roy Keane - looming next, England striker Rooney insists there is no margin for error.

"It's always important to pick up wins over the Christmas period because there are lots of games and lots of points to play for," Rooney said. "Teams can go up and down in the table quite a lot over Christmas, but we know how important it is to keep winning.

"All we want to do at the moment is keep winning and make sure we stay in the top two."

United have overcome the loss of injured midfielder Paul Scholes thanks mainly to the progress of Brazil teenager Anderson, and Rooney acknowledges the youngster has played a key role following his summer switch from Porto.

"Anderson has been brilliant, but he came into the club in pre-season and found it difficult early on," he added. "He had been away at the Copa America, so he wasn't really fit when he arrived, but he has caught up now and he is doing really well. He is only 19, but the performances he has been giving for us have been amazing."

United travel to Sunderland on Boxing Day, with Irishman Keane eager to pit his wits against the man under whom he enjoyed a trophy-laden Old Trafford playing career.

Keane is the latest in a lengthy line of former United players who forged their reputation under the Scot to go on and make the successful transition into management.

The 36-year-old Sunderland boss joins the likes of Gordon Strachan, Steve Bruce, Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Mark Robins who have put to use the wealth of knowledge they accumulated playing under the legendary former Aberdeen manager.

Despite his debt of gratitude to a man he rates along with his former Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough as the biggest influence on his career, Keane remains adamant he has nothing to prove to Ferguson, who gained the upper hand in September when United emerged with a 1-0 victory over the newly-promoted Wearside club.

He insisted: "I suppose if you look at it, an amazing amount of his players have gone on to be managers and have done well. But I have to say that I don't do this for him or for anyone else to be proud of me."

Keane admits the impressive list of management disciples were probably lulled into a false sense of security by how easy Ferguson makes the job look.

He added: "When you're playing under Sir Alex and winning lots of games you probably get the impression that it's easy."

[Freddy Adu]

No mercy for Keane as United turn the heat on Arsenal


Written by: AFP

	Sunderland manager Roy Keane watches from the sideline as his squad plays Manchester United at the Stadium of Light. Keane´s rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club eased to a comfortable 4-0.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Roy Keane's rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club, Manchester United, eased to a comfortable 4-0 victory at the Stadium of Light.

A double for Louis Saha and a goal apiece from Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo left Sunderland mired in the relegation zone while champions United moved above Arsenal at the top of the table, at least for a few hours.

Old Trafford was Keane's beloved home for 12 trophy-laden years but the Sunderland manager could expect no favours from his former mentor Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Scot showed his one time protege a degree of mercy by naming the Argentinian forward, Carlos Tevez, on the bench alongside the in-form French full back, Patrice Evra.

This being a fixture the footballing world would expect Manchester United to win, Keane could afford to gamble with his team selection but handing a Premier League debut to 17-year-old unknown Martyn Waghorn was brave even by the confident Irishman's standards.

Prolific for Sunderland's reserve team, and with an FA Youth Cup hat-trick under his belt earlier this month, the teenager has been forging quite a reputation on Wearside.

Once with United as a child, Waghorn was given the kind of late Christmas present most young hopefuls could only dream of.

Yet the South Shields-born forward was a spectator as Ronaldo created and almost converted the first chance of a fast-paced opening period.

Fouled by the Sunderland and former Manchester United defender Danny Higginbotham, the Portuguese midfielder stepped up to take the free kick 20 yards from goal and his swerving shot was beaten away by the Scotland goalkeeper, Craig Gordon.

Waghorn may admire Ronaldo but on his homepage on Sunderland's official website it is Rooney he names as his favourite current player.

In the 20th minute it was abundantly clear why every emerging English forward wants to follow in the England international's footsteps as United's talismanic striker broke the deadlock in fine style.

A neat exchange of passes between the full back, Wes Brown, and Ronaldo culminated in Rooney being given the opportunity to race clear on goal. Gordon was powerless to prevent a measured finish inside his left post and Keane suddenly faced another stiff test of his managerial talent.

Ten minutes later the Sunderland manager's task became almost impossible as Rooney turned provider to double the visitors' lead.

His pinpoint cross landed at the feet of Saha and the France international could not have asked for an easier opportunity.

It was Ronaldo who capped a mesmerizing half with a trademark free kick in the 45th minute, after former United star Dwight Yorke fouled Darren Fletcher 22 yards from goal.

Unsurprisingly United eased off after the break with Ronaldo making way for the South Korean Park Ji-Sung and the Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic stepping aside for the Spanish under-21 international Gerard Pique.

Rooney spurned a glorious chance to extend the visitors' advantage when he fired Nani's 76th minute cross over the bar.

But there was still time for Saha to score his second goal of the game, the French striker stroking home a penalty four minutes from time after Danny Collins had brought down Nani.

[Freddy Adu]

Keane stares into abyss


Written by: AFP

	Sunderland manager Roy Keane watches from the sideline as his squad plays Manchester United at the Stadium of Light. Keane´s rookie season as a Premier League manager took another painful turn for the worse as his former club eased to a comfortable 4-0.

SUNDERLAND, England (AFP) - Roy Keane, the former Manchester United midfielder, has learnt a series of painful lessons in his first season as a Premier League manager, but none could have hurt quite so much as that he was forced to endure at the hands of his one-time employers.

After 12 years patrolling the Old Trafford beat, the Irishman will always be guaranteed cult status among those who support the biggest club in the world but such outstanding service merited no more than a rousing reception from the traveling hordes on Wednesday.

On the field the reunion was merciless as Manchester United eased to a 4-0 victory and brutally exposed the gulf in class between the top flight’s haves and have-nots.

Sir Alex Ferguson later conceded Sunderland were suffering their 'stickiest patch of the season so far' but the Scot will lose little sleep over the fact that his slick side made things even more uncomfortable for Keane.

The discomfort will only intensify should the Wearside club fail to win against Bolton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

"We're in a sticky patch," admitted Keane, echoing his former mentor’s assessment of a club in decline. "We're in a massive fight. That was a harsh lesson. But if you're going to get beaten 4-0 at home then why not to a very good team?

"My old club will win the league. I said it earlier this season and I've seen nothing to change my mind. Manchester United were missing players but they still flexed their muscles. We could say they took their foot off the gas after half-time but the game was already lost by then."

A neat exchange of passes between the full back, Wes Brown, and Cristiano Ronaldo allowed Wayne Rooney to open the floodgates.

Ten minutes later Keane’s task became almost impossible as Rooney turned provider to double the visitors’ lead. His pinpoint cross landed at the feet of Louis Saha and the France international could not have asked for an easier opportunity.

It was Ronaldo who capped a mesmerizing half with a trademark free kick in the 45th minute, after Dwight Yorke fouled Darren Fletcher 22 yards from goal, and poor Keane appeared utterly perplexed.

Unsurprisingly United eased off after the break with Ronaldo making way for the South Korean Park Ji-Sung, who made his first appearance since suffering a serious knee injury in March, and Nemanja Vidic stepping aside for the Spanish under-21 international Gerard Pique.

Rooney spurned a glorious chance to extend the visitors' advantage when he fired Nani's 76th minute cross over the bar.

But there was still time for Saha to score his second goal of the game, the French striker stroking home a penalty four minutes from time after Danny Collins had brought down Nani.

"Ronaldo’s free kick was the killer," added Keane.

"We might have felt we had a chance at 2-0 down but you don’t come back to beat Man Utd 4-3. The fact is that they clearly have some quality players and there’s no other way of dressing that up.

"After watching that display my money is still on Manchester United winning the title. They’re a great attacking team and they have two decent centre halves too. That’s what you need to win leagues."

As for Ferguson, he can look forward to a title battle in which he believes the form of Wayne Rooney may be critical.

"I think Wayne is getting back to what we would expect of him," the Scot said. "Forwards tend to go on runs and this might be the start for him."

[Glorioso]

FT		Sunderland [2 - 1] Newcastle U.
5'			D. Guthrie
20'	[1 - 0]	D. Cisse
30'	[1 - 1]		S. Ameobi
54'		D. Cisse
73'			N. Butt
75'	[2 - 1]	K. Richardson