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In the aftermath of our tremendous victory over Chelsea, it’s hard to sum up just how well things are going for our beloved club this season. Nonetheless, I thought I’d give it a go with an alliterative,
three-point focus on the brains, brawn, and bravery that I’m seeing in SAFC so far this season.
Brains
Let’s start at the top with this one. Everyone involved off the pitch has shown immense intelligence over the past few months. With every game, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that our transfer window was nothing short of sensational and full of smart buys. Régis Le Bris is arguably the most intelligent individual I’ve seen in charge of SAFC in my lifetime: his attention to detail both prior to and during games is evident for all to see, leading to him outsmarting most managers he’s faced so far this season. On the pitch, we are certainly using our brains first and foremost, with Xhaka modelling this beautifully for those around him with intelligent choices and superb game management, and others following suit.
Brawn
A football club can have all the brains in the world operating both on and off the pitch, but without determination and a gritty desire to succeed, it will amount to very little. One thing that is evident across our opening nine games of the season has been how physically competitive we’ve been. Ballard, Mukiele, and Alderete all come to mind, but it was equally satisfying to see Brian Brobbey’s physical contributions in the final 20 at Stamford Bridge, holding the ball up well, culminating in a fantastic assist for Talbi’s winner. We are – without doubt – an army of warriors as a collective defensive group, whilst Brobbey gives us the option of having sheer brawn up at the top end of the pitch too, something that I’m sure will prove very handy in many games to come, particularly in the second half of poised matches.
Bravery
This is one I’ve been so pleasantly surprised with this season. An intelligent analyst – as mentioned previously – Régis Le Bris was always set to put great thought into how we could best keep out the considerable attacking talent that the Premier League brings. However, we’re seeing real bravery in the way Le Bris is setting the team up. Trai Hume played the first ten minutes so far up the pitch that he almost looked like a right-sided forward, something that concerned me initially, especially when Garnacho got his early goal in the pocket of space that Hume had vacated. But as the game advanced, the bravery of Hume, Xhaka, and even Ballard became apparent, and our final breakaway showed that RLB is sending his players out with the courageous aim of trying to beat anyone we face in this league, as opposed to settling for what would have been an excellent point.
What a time to be a Sunderland fan! My three young lads are thoroughly enjoying the ride and are undoubtedly being inspired by their tight-knit group of heroes who are showing intelligence, resilience, and fearlessness in abundance. Long may it continue!
