Sunderland, or to give them their full title, 'Oh Fucking Hell, Sunderland' are at it again.
The club has been an omnishambles over recent years, a mess of such prodigious dedication and extent that it was beautifully by a lengthy and anguished Twitter thread by this Sunderland supporter.
Just over two months on from that thread, a mere couple of weeks into pre-season training under new manager Simon Grayson, farce has struck again. Sunderland were today playing St. Johnstone in a pre-season friendly, in which they predictably slumped to a 3-0 defeat.
After just 24 minutes, Sunderland trailed 3-0, but the goal that deserves most attention was the slapstick first, a goal of such incredible ineptitude that it should hang in the Tate under the title Sunderland.
Vito Mannone was faced with a back-pass which he failed to control, with the ball ending up in the back of the net. Incredibly, he was offered an immediate reprieve: the referee awarded an indirect free-kick to St Johnstone, as he had handled the ball in trying to control the back-pass.
Naturally, St Johnstone scored the free-kick.
17' @VitoMannone88 can't control a back pass and it ends up in the net, but he handled it and an indirect free-kick is awarded.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 15, 2017
18' @St_Johnstone_FC take a 1-0 lead from the resulting free-kick as MacLean fires it through the bodies and into the net.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) July 15, 2017
Sunderland conceded the goal despite putting every player on the goal-line. It was 3-0 six minutes later.
The entire hapless moment was largely summed up in two words: Peak Sunderland.
Mannone makes an arse of a backpass, picks up it, drops it in his own net and then concedes from the indirect free kick. Peak Sunderland.
— Barry O'Neill (@BarryOn89) July 15, 2017
Peak Sunderland https://t.co/uw9KXnLYhU
— Cal (@Caltermole) July 15, 2017
Peak Sunderland https://t.co/1jIowM85eh
— Stuart Mulhall (@stuartmulhall3) July 15, 2017
Another enjoyable season ahead, evidently.
