What a shit season.

I thought about writing a blog and just having that sentence there all by itself. A stand alone sentence summing up a thoroughly miserable 2016/17 campaign. It’s been shit for obvious reasons but it’s still subjective in why it’s been so bad. Anybody could read that sentence  and infer their own meanings as to the reasons why. That way we all win. We have no disagreeing over who was to blame the most and which is the best way to go from here.

When you look at some of the clubs above Sunderland and see them thriving it annoys you. It brings out a self-entitlement attitude that you didn’t know you had and that’s not a good thing. There’s a whole generation of Sunderland fans who only know Premier League football but I grew up with second tier football primarily, with a couple of one-season efforts in the top league and having had walked into Roker Park for the first time in the old Division 3 as a six-year old lad.

It feels like it, but it isn’t the end of the world.

So get your head up and be thankful we got a decade at the top level because we may be about to see how bad it can really get.  Let us celebrate some of our favourite players during this ten year period. Some of the Wise Men Say members pick their favourite elevens from this latest Premier League stint. It didn’t make me mad that we’ve had the calibre of some of these players and still somehow ended up where we are now.

Not at all.

I promise.

Bastards.

We’re starting with Gareth’s and I’m putting this out there right away, he’s outright cheated with his right back option.

Gareth Barker

Stephen Goldsmith

Rory Fallow

Gary Foster

Michael Lough

These are the teams and remember that football is about enjoyment and means different things to different people so there will be some glaring omissions in the opinion of some, as well as some surprise inclusions. Let us know what you think by voting on our Twitter poll – pinned tweet on @WiseMenSayPod.