After six managers in four years, the only constant at Sunderland A.F.C. is their sustained dominance over Newcastle United in the most important fixture of the two sides’ calendar year, the Tyne-Wear derby.
A 3-0 victory for the Mackems, their record setting sixth in succession, is especially sweet for newly appointed Black Cats manager Sam Allardyce, who exacted a bit of revenge on his former employers.
Big Sam points the way forward. Photo: @SunderlandEcho | Twitter
Newcastle, while hardly the exemplar of stability and consistency, have been unable to cope with the revolving door philosophy of their northeastern neighbors.
On Sunday, Jermaine Defoe, the harbinger of Newcastle doom in recent years, threaded an inviting through ball for Steven Fletcher to chase into the Newcastle box. Fabricio Coloccini, haplessly alive to the danger, like a murder victim finally spotting their assailant directly behind them in the mirror’s reflection, proceeded to undo all of the Tynesiders’ early dominance.
One red card and a cooly assured Adam Johnson penalty later, Sunderland were cruising to their record setting sixth straight Tyne-Wear derby victory. To compound Geordie misery, the Black Cats moved above their rivals in the early relegation battle, piling more pressure on already beleaguered Magpie boss Steve McClaren.
Paolo Di Canio, Gus Poyet, Dick Advocate and now Allardyce have all instantly endeared themselves to Stadium of Light patrons with victories in the Tyne-Wear derby.
Towards the end of the match, chants of “can we play you every week?” could be heard cascading down from the terraces. Sunderland managers would certainly welcome such a scenario.
Tyne-Wear Derby: The Future
It’s a gloriously romantic beginning to their incumbency, a day and night of revelry which is generally followed by an overly extended walk of shame. The multi-month-long hangover culminates with each losing their job after failing to provide a legitimate reprieve from consistent relegation fears.
For clubs like Newcastle and Sunderland, for whom finishing in the top half of the table represents a hugely successful season, this inevitable shuffling of managers personifies the need for constant reinvigoration.
While the greatest danger for both clubs is ultimately relegation, there is another proverbial kiss of death facing the managers of both clubs - the weariness that develops from mid table mediocrity.
In the Premier League era, with the leagues big clubs so firmly ensconced at the top of the table, its near impossible to envision a genuine Champions League challenge coming from anyone but the usual candidates.
This leaves Newcaslte and Sunderland with a harrowing truth - that their existence in the top flight is a poisoned chalice. A damned if you do, damned if you don't purgatory of trophyless malaise.
While momentary success drums up involuntary memories of a bygone era, a glimmer of renewed hope, it's inevatable that that stimulus will die in the face of destabilizing transfers (the byproduct of being "selling clubs") and a pointed inconsistincy which Jose Mourinho labeled as "typical of a team that wins nothing."
This is the main reason Newcastle parted ways with Alan Pardew, the fans essentially exchanging a deplored tedium for the hope of something, anything, exciting. Unfortunately for Newcastle, that excitement came in the form of a final-day relegation scrape.
We can't beat Sunderland, how about a horse? Photo: @S_Gerszto | Twitter
Going into this season, the current 20 Premier League sides had gone through 215 managers in the last 20 years. With Dick Advocaat, Brendan Rodgers and Tim Sherwood having already lost their positions this year, is continuity even a possibility in the face of monetary survival and our need, as supporters, to dream?
