Calum Mills says…
Could it be a blessing in disguise? Possibly. We’ve lost our record signing until December but as mentioned by Ewan, he’ll hopefully miss AFCON!
For me, the club should definitely make sure that from a medical
standpoint, he doesn’t travel with Senegal — even to be a part of the tournament squad. The fortunate side of the injury is that he’ll be less fatigued come January, although he’ll obviously have to play catch up in terms of match fitness, but I’d rather a player lack match fitness rather than be on the limits of fatigue.
We’ll definitely miss his tenacity in the middle of the park alongside Noah Sadiki, but as we saw on Sunday, Granit Xhaka was more than capable of pressing high up the field, even though he’s much better when dictating play from deep.
As our recruitment was so good over the summer, we quickly saw Dan Neil move aside but his introduction against Aston Villa was a welcome one. He got stuck in immediately and won a timely free kick to run down the clock, which was recognised by his teammates who were quick to celebrate it with him.
To my and I’m sure every other Lads fan’s surprise, Chris Rigg started the game in place of Diarra and he definitely didn’t look out of place, with some quick feet, confident passing and a great piece of skill to lose John McGinn and set Wilson Isidor away. We also mustn’t forget that Lutsharel Geertruida appeared late on as well and looked very assured.
Competition for places just intensified. Losing Diarra is a blow, but we have some very able deputies waiting in the wings.
Ewan Bowman says…
A big blow — not just for him but the team in general.
Diarra has made a great impact on the side, not only with his quality on the ball also without it, as he’s a key component when we press the opposition. His tenacity, determination and willingness to work hard for the team is fantastic.
Groin injuries have to be treated carefully and after his surgery, I’d be surprised to see him play before AFCON begins, but I hope I’m wrong.
It’ll be interesting to see what Régis Le Bris does in terms of team selection moving forward, as before the red card on Sunday, he selected Chris Rigg alongside Noah Sadiki and Granit Xhaka. Due to Nordi Mukiele’s long throws and our threat from set pieces, he might go to a back three and put Dan Ballard in, but either way, I’m confident Le Bris will pick the right tactics against the opposition.
A big blow but one that certainly won’t change the mindset of our current group of players.
Ian Bendelow says…
Let’s be honest here: back in the day, we were used to the mentality of “When one door closes, another one… closes.
Now, however, it’s flipped. One door closes, and another one has opened, so step forward Chris Rigg.
His thirty-minute cameo on his first Premier League start — aged eighteen and against a team in Europe full of elite players — was exciting, to put it mildly. He played with supreme intelligence, had a good understanding with those around him and was threading passes round corners like he was putting the cellophane wrapper back on a packet of tabs.
And even if Rigg falls into a sinkhole or something like that, no worries, because Sunderland have recruited in a way which means there are players who can play in multiple positions. Sure, not everyone is going to be able to replicate the style of play Diarra brings, but the performance on Sunday suggests the team will be fine.
The downside of course — and it’s unavoidable — is that Habib Diarra is a pretty good player. Someone with pace, power and boundless energy, but look who’s playing alongside him: a man recently in the reckoning for the Ballon d’Or and someone in Noah Sadiki who would make the Duracell bunny blow chunks.
So it’s not all bad.
John Wilson says…
This is obviously unwelcome news but the most encouraging aspect of this sorry event is that it might not have as big an impact on the team and squad as it would undoubtedly have had in years gone by.
The team coped admirably against Aston Villa on Sunday and it was certainly not a case of papering over the cracks. I was also impressed with the speed that his injury has been dealt with.
He was injured during a very late training session, and I was reading that he’s already had surgery and that his recovery has already started. We shall miss him of course, but it’s highlighted the depth of the squad. Very reassuring, and I’m not sure that any injury would disable this team, with Granit Xhaka possibly being the most valuable presence.
We wish him a speedy recovery but on the positive side, the competition we have for places this season is fantastic to see, and I’m sure someone will grab this opportunity with both hands!
Nic Wiseman says…
The loss of any player is a big blow but the club has positioned itself to allow for such eventualities.
Remember when we were signing all these midfielders, seemingly in the same position? That was for contingencies like this Kristjaan Speakman has addressed the African Cup of Nations conundrum a few times. He has confidence in the squad and one player’s misfortune is another’s opportunity.
What was it that Roy Keane used to say? “There are no such things as problems, just opportunities”. It sounds a bit corporate but in terms of footballers desperate to be a part of things, this is it.
Do well in training and you’ll be part of the head coach’s thinking. Whining, moaning and digging your heels in is the fast route to being shown the door. I’m not accusing any player of this behaviour, but if they were tempted to throw their toys out of the pram, this is a timely reminder that this club means business.
That means expecting all squad players to be ready to step up at any time, because nobody knows what’s around the corner in life.
