Well, another international break has been and gone (with another right around the corner), and for the first time in forever it feels as though there has been a lull in Sunderland news — and I’m not really sure that I like it!
I guess it has become part of being a football fan now, that the off-pitch drama of transfer windows is almost as encapsulating as watching the Lads go out and try to win three points on a weekend. And, given we’ve had such epic highs over the summer when it comes to our recruitment,
that dopamine hit not being present when the team aren’t playing on a matchday is going to to take some getting used to again.
This pause in action during an international break presents us with a whole new set of potential problems that we have not experienced for some time.
Since returning to the Premier League, we have spent a massive amount to get the squad to a competitive level, bringing in a raft of new players. Many of these are important players for their countries.
Yet their departures on international duty means Regis le Bris has had a smaller group to work with than he would have liked before Saturday’s game at Crystal Palace. It likely means that the majority of those who will start at Selhurst Park will have had hardly any preparation.
Considering how meticulous Le Bris is, he will not be happy having to deal with so many moving parts.
That said, isn’t that just part of being the coach of a Premier League side, where most teams are full of international footballers?
Palace’s manager Oliver Glasner has the same headaches due to the sheer amount of international talent he has in his ranks, with the added challenge of having to reintegrate Marc Guehi – who was impressive during the week, scoring in England’s thumping away victory at Serbia – after Palace put a late stop to his move to Liverpool.
We just have to hope it all works in Sunderland’s favour.
Brian Brobbey is an unknown quantity and I would be tempted to chuck him in from the start to see if he can rough up the Palace defenders. I cannot call Guehi’s professionalism into question, but could this be a good time to stick a total unknown up against him, given his head may well be in the shed?
His performance for England on Tuesday was noble, but I guess this isn’t quite the same as having to go back to your club and be around teammates whom you probably thought you’d never see again at the Crystal Palace training ground.
Guehi’s often talked about as a consumate professional, so I doubt he’ll be sulking, but you do have to wonder about whether he’s distracted or not at present. Having said all of that, I do kinda wish he’d signed for Liverpool, as I’d much rather be facing a Crystal Palace without Marc Guehi than one with him at the heart of the defence.
If needed, the pace and energy of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda off the bench (or as ‘finishers’, as Le Bris puts it) can make a difference later in the game, and we’ve got to capitalise on the moments during the match when we do get a chance to put Palace on the back foot. They’re a proper quality outfit and we cannot take them lightly, given they’ve won two trophies in the last six months and have had a decent start in the league.
After starting the season with two wins from three games, Sunderland going away to the current FA Cup holders presents a different task and, in truth, anything other than a defeat would be a bonus.
I am hoping Sunderland’s survival plan factors in having a great home record, but we must complement that with the odd win or draw here away from home. Whether that will come at Selhurst Park remains to be seen, and I can’t shake this feeling that it’s generally been a horrible place for Sunderland to go over the years – it always felt like we lost there when I was a kid, and that Clinton Morrison would turn into Pele whenever we visited.
I cannot tell whether it is a good time to play Palace, but Sunderland have to go there with confidence, hoping to spring a surprise.
Do not write us off – our record of scoring late goals over the past five games shows only a fool would do such a thing!
