Superkev reveals week of heartbreak

Southampton new-boy Kevin Phillips has revealed his personal heartbreak and how he's had to put on a brave face at his Southampton unveiling and playing debut.

Phillips signed for the south coast team on Thursday afternoon and came on as a sub in Saturday's game to help his new team-mates avoid an opening day defeat - all the time while coping with the death of his mum Sue only days earlier.

Kev told Press Association, "My Mum died last Saturday. I've kept quiet because it was an important week of my career. We've got the funeral on Wednesday, which is going to be another difficult week.

"It's been difficult, but luckily, I've got people around me who are great. I've got a fantastic wife, a great family and today I suppose I can dedicate that goal to her.

Phillips' father Ray died in May 1995, only six months after his son signed for Watford from non-league Baldock Town.

Stadium Closed for Business?

It seems that many people had trouble actually getting into the stadium yesterday due to the fiascos at the cash turnstiles.

Those that did get in were faced with sights like this.

and people milling around wondering just where in the stadium they could find to spend their precious money.

The stewards were un-informed and could not direct people to open kiosks - there was no indication of where open kiosks/bars could be found, those who did manage to find open kiosks were faced with massive queues and low stock levels.

Just what is going on at the club, not only do they not seem to want to take our money off us, but they also are doing there best to aggravate us.

A shambles on the pitch and a shambles off the pitch.

Murray Out

Murray out, Murray out, Murray out - ad infinitum?

Well what lovely record Mr. Bob Murray has tagged to his name. not only records Chairman in charge of record relegation's, not only Chairman of the worst team in the history of the Premiership, but one game away from the worst team in the history of football.

Resign Bob, go now, no need to rant and rave about who would replace you, it cannot get any worse.

We the fans are still waiting for you to say sorry.

We the fans are not turning up due to over priced tickets (if you can find a turnstile selling one) to watch over paid mercenary desecrating the red and white stripes of SAFC.

I for one can no longer wear my stripes and will not do so until the likes of Kevin Kilbane leaves MY Club. How dare you wear my colours and pretend to be a footballer. The same goes for umpteen others, Steven Wright included.

And as for Mic Mac Paddy Wack , where's Arca?

I reckon we've got more chance of finding him on a page in a "Where's Wally" book than at Sunderland.

Why Arca, he's not exactly a world beater some will say. He is however a crowd favorite and crowd favorites lift the crowd, lift the atmosphere and might, just might lift the team.

So was I there yesterday? no I wasn't and my reason or as some rose tinted supporters will se it my excuse was it's holiday season, its the six weeks holidays, I'm severely overdrawn thus £23 quid spent on entertaining my children rather than irritating my soul with piling mounts of depression.

Murray Out!

A campaign MUST be started in some shape or form other than the obvious drop in attendance’s.

Will we sustain a defeat at Preston North End on Saturday? Pprobably. That will make 17 or 18 successive defeats, last achieved by Darlington 104 years ago.

31-08-03 is fast approaching a date the soothsayers predict will be the end of SAFC.

If so who is to blame fans like me not happy or the ENTIRE set-up at SAFC?

HACKWATCH: Lads 0, Millwall 1

OPPO: Millwall
VENUE: SoL
RESULT: 0-1
TEAM: Poom, Wright, Clark, Breen, McCartney, Piper (Oster 67), Thornton, Thirlwell, Kilbane (Gray 67), Kyle, Proctor (Stewart 67)
SUBS NOT USED: Ingham, Whitley
MAN IN BLACK: T Leake (Darwen)
ATTENDANCE: 24,877

MCCARTHY’S COMMENTS

"If you have no points after two games people will talk about relegation -that has to be the shock tactic for all of us. We started this game dreadfully. I don’t think the run we’ve had was the catalyst for that, but maybe it was. We’ll get better, that’s for sure, but we have to realise we face a hell of a scrap.”

SAFC OFFICIAL SITE:

Confidence-sapped Sunderland rarely threatened…

Mccarthy's men had the lion's share of possession after the break but found it difficult to break down Millwall.

It was a terrible start for Sunderland as the Lions took the lead after just five minutes and it was an untidy goal.

Breen looked comfortable on his debut.

The Wearsiders responed with a Thornton free-kick in the 15th minute which Tony Warner easily saved, then Kevin Kilbane blasted over from similar distance.

Mart Poom underlined the home side's edginess when his kicked a clearnce straight to Whelan.

Millwall made life difficult for the Black Cats, denying them space in midfield.

Kilbane and Thornton both fired dangerous crosses into the box as half-time approached but Warner easily dealt with both.

Sunderland's play had more urgency about it after the break…Warner was the busier of the two keepers in the second half.

The Black Cats lacked the required quality in the final third.

SUNDAY MIRROR

McCarthy is attempting to fashion a leaner, meaner machine out of last season's shambles but on this evidence against his former club he's got a frightening job.

While there was no questioning the effort, Sunderland simply didn't have the clout where it mattered.

It's a measure of how things have deteriorated that the captaincy yesterday went to Paul Thirlwell, a midfielder not certain of his place, while last year's skipper Michael Gray started on the bench.

But for all their efforts, Sunderland lacked the guile to upset an efficient Millwall as the clock ticked down to yet another morale-sapping defeat.

Sunday Mirror ratings: Poom 5, Wright 5, Breen 6, Clark 6, McCartney 5, Piper 5 (Oster 6) Thirlwell 6, Thornton 6, Kilbane 5 (Gray 6), Kyle 6, Proctor 6 (Stewart 6). - Manager Ratings: McCarthy 6; McGhee 7

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

”Record looms for sorry Sunderland”

With Sunderland two defeats away from equalling Darwen's record losing streak of 18 League matches, Tony Leake was dispatched from the very same Blackburn suburb to referee at the Stadium of Light yesterday.

Mick McCarthy's side are one game closer to the 104-year-old black mark.

Darwen were playing at Flixton in the Second Division of the North West Counties League yesterday.

Sunderland need an education in the rudiments of the game, such as the stringing together of a pass or two, and the putting of the ball in the net. They have not scored a League goal now for nine hours and 20 minutes.

McCarthy could draw some encouragement from the assurance debutant Gary Breen brought to the Sunderland defence. His team, though, played some depressingly dire stuff.

The trouble for Sunderland was a lack of presence in midfield, where Millwall, and Tim Cahill in particular, enjoyed free rein before the break.

SUNDAY TIMES

A two-year downward spiral at Sunderland, which three managers and an investment approaching £30m in new players have been incapable of arresting, is on the brink of an embarrassing new nadir.

There were some boos from the Sunderland fans who attended yesterday in a show of blind faith, but most meekly accepted their fate long before defeat was confirmed.

McCarthy had no complaints with the endeavour shown by his players, but he conceded there was little quality in the final third.

Millwall were well beneath their best form, according to manager Mark McGhee.

Sunderland had an offside appeal against Neil Harris turned down, but that did not excuse their static defending.

McGhee said “There are a lot worse teams than Sunderland in this division — like us, for instance.”

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

“Whelan rounds off another bad day for Sunderland”

Sunderland are doing their best to eclipse Darwen's 104-year old sequence of 18 successive League defeats.

Mark McGhee must have been surprised by the sheer poverty of Sunderland's passing and movement when they sweated buckets to win possession and then seemed unsure what to do with the ball.

Most of the 24,000 crowd departed well before the end but those who remained roundly booed Sunderland's players off.

Sunderland could not be faulted for any lack of huff and puff - even if none of their midfielders attempted quite as many tackles as Wise - McCarthy's alarmingly gauche XI lacked guile.

McCarthy was reduced to booting water bottles down the touchline in frustration.

Sean Thornton's free-kicks are not bad and Tony Warner did well to get two hands to a 25-yard curler.

Why was Paul Thirlwell, an anonymous midfielder with a handful of first-team appearances to his name, made captain in place of the injured Jason McAteer? And why was Marcus Stewart, a proven finisher, left on the bench along with Michael Gray, who though over-paid and often under-achieving, is surely a better left-back than George McCartney.

BBC NEWS ONLINE

McCarthy's problems in defence continued despite handing newcomer Gary Breen his Sunderland debut.

The visitors were clearly lifted by their early strike and immediately pressed for a second.

The home side made a bright start to the second half and Kevin Kyle went close from Matt Piper's cross.

Warner produced a brilliant save to keep out Sean Thornton's curling free-kick

SKY SPORTS ONLINE

Millwall dominated most of the match and bounced back from their Carling Cup exit.

Charley Hearn cut in from the left and fired in a shot which was blocked by Sunderland debutant Gary Breen - unfortunately for him it rebounded to Whelan who bundled the ball home.

Kevin Kilbane had Sunderland's first effort, but his long-range free-kick sailed over Tony Warner's bar.

Sunderland came out with more passion at the start of the second half, and Kevin Kyle went close from a decent Matt Piper cross.

Warner was tested by Piper as Sunderland finally began to take the upper hand.

Sean Thornton was next to test Warner with a dipping free-kick, but despite the introduction of three substitutes Sunderland could not breach the Lions defence.