The Craic From The Bus: Sunlun two, Oxford nowt!

It was a very chirpy gathering of Sunderland fans boarding the two buses in Consett bus station for what seemed like a rare 3pm kick-off at the Stadium of Light against Oxford. Two hard-fought away wins and the possibility of a third win at home in a week was the reason for the general level of chirpiness.

We were hardly in our seats when Kev Halom had us in a debate about the disallowed goal at Luton. Somehow, we tripped into the issue of VAR. Kev is not a fan and was getting a bit of support from those in earshot. It’s a divisive issue for sure. I say it’s here to stay, and we just need to cut out human error and speed up the decision-making if we can. Most of the stuff chucked at me missed, so no harm done!

The general view on the disallowed goal was that it was the correct decision and a great spot by the linesman, who flagged the Luton player in front of Patto as making himself active in play from an offside position. If he’d stood still, it probably would have been a goal.

A bit of chat follows with Samaras and Uncle John regarding the online racist abuse aimed at the Luton player Adebayo on Wednesday night. It’s bad enough it happens, but very disappointing to think that it might have come from a Sunderland fan. We cannot quite comprehend what that Sunderland fan is thinking, especially with probably at least three Black players in our starting eleven and another two on our bench today. When will this stop?

Steve Bould and Mick Hunter are wondering what will happen when Dan Ballard is fit again. Chris Mepham has been a revelation since his loan signing and has hardly put a foot wrong. Added to this, Luke O’Nien has had a tremendous season so far and seems to have established a good understanding with Mepham really quickly. Throw Aji Alese into that mix, and we agree we have some strength in depth. The jury remains out on Jenson Seelt and Leo Hjelde for now.

A quiet but affirming conversation follows with an older fan who has been a loud and avid critic of Kristian Speakman and KLD. He’s giving credit where it’s due and acknowledging he may have been wrong in his condemnation. The season is still young, but this is not the first of these conversations I’ve experienced. Fair play to this gent, thinks I — football is definitely a game of opinions, and you’re allowed to change yours.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

A strange story from one of our regular travellers: he’d heard a lot of rumbling and growling noises from his bedroom just after the Luton game finished. He crept upstairs with a golf club, fearing an intruder. He peeped into the darkened bedroom but could see nothing, though the noise continued. At this point, he wasn’t sure whether to ring the police or investigate further. Plucking up his courage, he switched on the light and stepped tentatively into the room, golf club at the ready. The noise was coming from the big wardrobe. “Come out; the Police are on the way!” he boldly squeaked.

The noise stopped momentarily but soon started again. Summoning what courage he had left, he stepped to the wardrobe door, flung it open, and stepped back, ready to start swinging! To his utter surprise, sitting in the wardrobe was a fully grown lion. In a combination of shock and fear, our fellow fan says, “What the hell are you doing in there?” The lion replies, “Narnia business.”

And in what seems like no time at all, we arrive at the Stadium of Light.

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Some extremely happy travellers board the bus after the game. Even the log jam of buses seems a minor inconvenience when you’ve won three games in a week and are five points clear at the top of the division. Someone mentions that it’s our best start since 1899! We do have some older fans on the bus, but none of them were around for that one!

Steve Bould, Mick Hunter, and I agree that Jobe had a magnificent game. Dan Neil, too, played his part, with probably his best game in that deeper-lying midfield role. Chris Rigg also earns our praise; he seems fearless at times. By the time we’ve finished, the starting eleven have all not only put in a shift but done it with some style today.

“When did we last win three games in a week?” I wonder. Steve thinks we did it under Roy Keane’s tenure. I’m not disputing this but have a memory of coming toward the end of the 1989/90 season and going to two away games and a home game in a week and winning them all. I also (wrongly, as it turns out) flag up the marvellous run we went on in the 1976/77 season when we scored sixteen goals in three consecutive victories in a week! We did score sixteen goals in three consecutive home victories, but it was over a two-week period. Any excuse to bring that up, though; it’s time well spent!

A cracking conversation follows with two of our younger fans, Russo and Mbappe. Russo thought Jobe was the player of the match and loved his goal, while Mbappe thought Robbie Mundle played a really good game. No argument from me on either opinion; these two know their onions! They also know the words to the Régis Le Bris song but are under strict instructions not to sing it at school or home!

A wide-ranging conversation with Varga and Samaras touches on Dan Neil’s performance. There’s been a bit of constructive criticism of Neil in the defensive midfield position in previous games, but today we agree he played an excellent game and, to a degree, has now set a benchmark for future performances.

Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Something else that gets an airing is Régis Le Bris’s substitutions. It’s hardly criticism, more an observation, that unless his hand is forced, he doesn’t seem to care for early substitutions. At 2-0, with Oxford not really looking able to get back into the game, could Tommy Watson and Aaron Connolly have been given a little more time on the pitch? Who are we to complain — five points clear and best start since 1899 doesn’t give us much room to criticise, we happily agree.

Rob Redford and Highbury Bob are in grand spirits as they join the debate about the last time we won three games in a week. These conversations are so much fun when your team is on a winning streak like ours is!

We wax lyrical about Jobe; he has really seemed to be on his game this season, covering huge amounts of territory and having eradicated that frustrating habit he had last season of turning back on himself and slowing play down. Player of the match for us, we agree.

The King of Isildur’s goal is dissected: a great pass from Neil and an instinctive striker’s volley from Wilson, a marvellous passage of football. It’s heartening as a supporter to see a player so obviously enjoying playing for the team and for its fans.

The bright lights of Consett come into view, and we depart the bus even chirpier than we were when we boarded five and a half hours previously.