Big Cats getting their pride back
MEMORIES of Sunderland’s painful plummet from the Premier League to the third tier of English football are slowly subsiding on Wearside.
Previous owner Ellis Short (right, top) oversaw a disastrous decade at the Stadium of Light, culminating in back-to-back relegations and economic chaos that can never be forgiven or forgotten.
The American billionaire might have written off debts in the region of £125million that his financial folly created, but he walked away leaving behind a crumbling club.
The future looked bleak. But, from the wreckage they inherited, new owner Stewart Donald and his manager Jack Ross are painstakingly rebuilding the club, albeit on the most modest of budgets.
Slowly, but surely, Sunderland are repairing the damage by virtue of huge cuts and necessary downsizing.
Black Cats fans have responded impressively to the new regime with home gates of 30,000.
And more than 2,000 fans made the arduous trip to Gillingham in midweek and were rewarded with a thumping 4-1 win. There is a connection and a unified approach with Donald (above) and his board that never existed under the aloof Short.
Pride and hope are being restored at the Stadium of Light and a joint venture between fans and club to install new seats underlines a shared sense of purpose.
Ross is well aware that such a huge rebuilding project will take time.
But at least the foundations now look far more solid. PEP GUARDIOLA was happy to hand it to the hosts after the final whistle – despite Willy Boly’s disputed goal.
The Spaniard paid tribute to Nuno Espirito Santo’s Premier League new boys, even though they profited from a strike that should never have been.
Guardiola (left) refused to bellyache, swerving any arguments about VAR after both teams made their point.
He was outvoted on the issue last season – shouted down by others after a vote.
And he wasn’t about to revisit the subject, even though he was on the wrong end of referee Martin Atkinson’s decision as Boly’s 57th-minute effort – that clearly deflected into the net off his arm – was wiped out by Aymeric Laporte’s thumping header.
Instead, Guardiola chose to highlight the value of a point at a club that truly is reawakening under Santo’s leadership.
He said: “We knew the quality of our opponents. This is a good point for us.
“I don’t like playing teams who have been promoted so early. They are full of enthusiasm.
“I prefer to play them in November or December. They were well-organised. It was a game we expected.
“We created a lot of chances. I know chances don’t count. And there was a lack of rhythm.
“We didn’t defend their counter-attacks well. But, overall, I’m satisfied.”
Manchester City’s manager did have reason to gripe – he walked on to the Molineux pitch to have a few words with the match official afterwards – but would not be drawn on it in public.
Asked about Boly’s effort, he snapped: “I didn’t see it. I’m not the referee.”
Then, pressed on his views about the use of television replays in decision-making, he tersely replied: “I don’t work in the Premier League.”
However, he, too, had reason to be pleased, despite the fact that it