Fan Letters: ‘It concerns me that no one seems to be mentioning Blackpool as a threat at all’

Dear Roker Report,

It’s about time new contracts were under way for the likes of O’Nien regardless of the division we are in next season. We lost our ‘keeper to Rangers with such a lackadaisical attitude. We extended Embleton’ s contract before he went out on loan in January.

I hope our new owner loosens the purse strings – when once we could afford an £18 million player – and buy Sanderson for £2 million, and build our team around such players.

I’m also thinking how long is it since we had a dominant midfield as well as real pace.

David Haswell

Ed’s Note [Martin]: Thanks for the email David, I’m sure contract talks are ongoing with O’Nien as well as the rest of the players who are out of contract this summer. It’s a challenging position for both parties really, given we don’t know which division we’ll be in, but regardless the likes of O’Nien, Willis, Hume etc will be important. I’d also love to see Sanderson sign permanently, but I think it’s a long-shot. As for the last dominant midfield we had... Cana and Cattermole maybe?! They didn’t have much pace between them though!

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

With the business end of the season in full swing all I seem to be reading about is Hull and Peterborough as our main promotion rivals. What concerns me is that no one seems to be mentioning Blackpool as a threat at all, even though they have quietly moved up the table, have a long unbeaten run and could heaven forbid overtake us if they continue to do so.

We have two crucial games to play against them as well as matches against our other promotion rivals, in fact our run in is far tougher than theirs.

Beware complacency, especially now when we are so close, let’s not under estimate any of our last 11 opponents keep our eyes on the prize and watch out for the fast finishers in the final straight.

MentalMackem

Ed’s Note [Martin]: I agree, Blackpool are the team outside of the Peterborough and Hull that I’m watching closely, and I was pleased to see them drop points yesterday. However it’s good in some respects we’ve got to play them twice in our run in – it’s completely in our own hands.

It’s an old adage, but we just need to take one game at a time – there’ll be some twists and turns, and no doubt we’ll drop points when we’re expected to pick up all three. Next Monday’s shaping up to be a pivotal fixture, isn’t it?

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Dear Roker Report,

Being a Sunderland fan now in my seventh decade of support I must admit to optimism, but won’t believe it until it happens. I liked the conundrum you set about who should score the goal that gets us over the line, so here goes!

Leave aside the obvious observation that the “winning goal” could not be that without those that preceded it , I would point out that it may not be a Sunderland goal that confirms things but one against our rivals that denies them. I was going to go for – irony on irony – Will Grigg, but I don’t see that in the forthcoming fixtures!

So returning to home turf I will go for an upfield pump by Lee Burge sailing over all heads! After all, the Jimmy Glass goal that saved Carlisle over two decades ago is still remembered.

Andrew Bailey

Ed’s Note [Martin]: I’d put a tenner on that now you’ve said it Andrew! It’d certainly be one that’d be replayed over and over again, wouldn’t it? I’ll always remember being in the away end when Poom equalised against Derby – we celebrated so much afterwards we missed the last train home and had to stay out in Derby until the first train the next day!