When Omar Alderete made a timely run to meet Granit Xhaka’s neatly-judged free kick, powering — actually, no, scaring – a header past Mats Selz to give us a crucial 0-1 lead at the City Ground on Saturday night, it wasn’t merely an example of Sunderland’s growing effectiveness from set pieces nor Xhaka’s burgeoning reputation as an assist maker.
Instead, it was a snapshot of the wholehearted, “all-in” approach that’s driving this team forward and is giving the fans real hope that our first Premier
League campaign in eight years could contain plenty of special memories along the way.
In the first instance, Alderete — for whose signing we should probably be investigated by some kind of highway robbery regulatory committee, so much of a snip did he join for — has been an inspired acquisition and a shining example of the reach into the European transfer market we can now boast under Florent Ghisolfi.
A towering presence at the back with class to burn on the ball and the kind of positional sense and awareness that we’ve simply not seen enough of from Sunderland defenders over the past two decades, the Paraguayan has taken to life on Wearside with ease and the vigour with which he celebrated his goal (and the team’s eventual victory) over Nottingham Forest suggested that he’s another player for whom the prestige of playing for Sunderland is already generating a real feel-good factor.
Indeed, Alderete might’ve been one of our truly towering figures at the weekend but this team is growing in stature by the week and Régis Le Bris’ recent declaration that “togetherness is a non-negotiable” is starting to carry some serious weight.
As Roker Report’s Paddy Hollis wrote last week, Sunderland have shown a tremendous amount of passion, fighting spirit and togetherness during the opening games of the season, and when you align the level of physicality we can boast to the wealth of skill and creativity within the ranks, it makes for a potent combination.
Of course, it would be neglectful to point out that nothing is settled yet and that with thirty two games remaining, there’ll be missteps and disappointments ahead, but judging by what we saw on the banks of the Trent, the Lads are ready and willing to empty the tanks on a weekly basis — something that’s a world away from the gutless attitude displayed by our class of 2016/2017.
What we’re seeing right now is the product of a process that began once Tommy Watson sent us back to the top flight in the most dramatic fashion.
The construction of what was essentially an entirely new side over the summer was very much needed but that we were able to do so whilst preserving the sense of unity that carried us to playoff success during 2024/2025 was no mean feat, and our promising start to the 2025/2026 campaign suggests that every new addition is fully invested in what we’re trying to build — a testament to both their own mindset and the positive environment created at the club.
Praise for this deserves to be shared equally among the players and coaching staff, and the reputation of Le Bris, whose high standards have taken root throughout the entire squad and in whom the players clearly fully believe, continues to grow.
The Frenchman is a real student of the game and even though this is his maiden campaign in the English top flight, he and his coaches have been savvy enough to ensure that any potential weaknesses have been compensated for by the qualities that every side needs but computers often miss; the organic qualities that football hipsters probably don’t like but that Sunderland fans will always demand from their side.
As such, this team is made from tough stuff and although from afar, a 65%/35% split in possession in favour of Forest probably screamed “smash and grab”, the Lads were excellent value for the win on Saturday night and the way we were able to ride waves of home pressure was testament to the team’s collective mentality and the influence of the likes of Xhaka, for whom stadia like the City Ground clearly hold no fear.
If sides want to play football against us, we’ve got players who are capable of rising to the occasion. On the other hand, if opponents choose to turn games into physical affairs, we’re more than willing to oblige. That’s the sign of a team of real promise and with warriors like Alderete on hand, the phrase “backwards step” doesn’t appear to have a place in this team’s lexicon.
