Calum Mills says…
Another Jules Ahoka masterclass
This lad is just phenomenal — thrown in for basically your full debut after Granit Xhaka went off injured, and he bossed it in the middle alongside Sadiki.
I’ve been saying it for weeks: Xhaka has been holding us back because his legs have gone, but lo and behold, an energetic box-to-box midfielder replaces him and we look like the Sunderland of last year!
Bullish Brian Brobbey
Unplayable. He would’ve been pulling Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana out of his pockets when he got home.
I just wish he could discover his shooting
boots as that would’ve been a fantastic sixty five minutes for him. I do hope he’s not injured, though.
A wholehearted Sunderland display
We actually looked capable of defending and that was down to having Nordi Mukiele in there.
Luke O’Nien was superb and if Dan Ballard isn’t back until December, I’m more than OK with the Mukiele/O’Nien partnership. Special mentions also for Thomas Meunier and Reinildo — both elder statesman, but they had the better of the Chelsea wingers they faced throughout
I mentioned it above, but this was the Sunderland of last season.
Why? Because they were at it from the off; determined, intense and performed as a team. Understandably, the pace dropped in the second half but the Lads still bettered their opposition.
Opportunities wasted
We need to be better at finishing chances.
Brobbey had two and Wilson Isidor one. Isidor’s was a little harder as Mike Penders was off his line in a flash, but if you’re going to be limited to two or three chances a game up front, you have to bag at least one.
David Elliott says…
An impressive Sunderland rearguard action
The defence was so solid.
Both full backs played very well, with Reinildo an absolute rock in the second half. Both centre backs were great, and it makes such a difference to have Nordi Mukiele back.
Jules Ahoka…wow
What a prospect he is.
For such an inexperienced player, he plays with confidence and maturity. He always seems to have time and space; he passes sensibly and gets around the pitch really well.
Poor finishing
Why can’t we finish from extremely promising positions?
We just have to take our chances — the game would’ve been over a lot earlier if we had.
Jarred Gillett…oh dear
Can someone explain how he has the competence to be a top level referee?
It says it all that Régis Le Bris got a yellow card.
John Wilson says…
Sunderland’s intensity returns
The word that’s been missing from our performances recently was back.
The Lads (with help from the crowd) were back. Nordi Mukiele in his Rolls Royce was back. ‘Bulldog’ Brobbey was back, as was Spider-Man Enzo Le Fée.
What a welcome surprise that first half was.
An immaculate silence observed
So many better performances on the pitch, but my second positive must go to us eventually getting the minute’s silence and Last Post correct, with the crowd applauding after the referee’s whistle.
Well observed.
A shambolic refereeing display
I haven’t mentioned the referee in a few weeks but this guy (who was tellingly booed before kick off!) is another level.
Giving soft free kicks to them, ignoring assault and battery on Brian Brobbey, etc. Disgraceful.
Lars Knutsen says…
Defensive determination wins the day
There was a collective resolve from Robin Roefs and the back four not to concede, and they did very well.
Admittedly, Chelsea did have ten shots, but only four on target and we dealt with them well.
Perhaps the psychological advantage of our double over these opponents last season was a factor, but although it was a tense game to watch, I felt we were assured at the back.
A Brian Brobbey tour de force
Aside from his winning the penalty, Brobbey gave Levi Colwill a torrid time
We function so much better as a team when our muscular number nine is fully involved and we need to make sure he’s kept in good shape for the Premier League, as that’s our most important competition.
If we can do that, we’ll pull further away from the bottom of the table.
Granit Xhaka’s exit doesn’t harm us
It was alarming to see our captain and talisman leave the pitch, because last season we were so very dependent on his leadership and general play.
This was different — we coped pretty well and ground out the victory. I want him to have a lot of influence but he may be out for a while, and as time goes by, this’ll be a more common occurrence and we have to have new leaders emerging.
More firepower needed?
I love Wilson Isidor and his enthusiasm for Sunderland but with him alone up front we have to adopt a different style of play.
Florent Ghisolfi has not really been caught up in the recent criticism of club management, but he needs to execute on the signing of a top striker in the next transfer window otherwise our beloved is going to be left exposed in a demanding season.
Mark Ryan says…
A reliable defensive shift
The whole back line was immense — Luke O’Nien’s attempted penalty notwithstanding — but Reinildo was absolutely incredible, especially in the second half.
He must absolutely hate Estevao, because he always dominates the young Brazilian. Thomas Meunier was really good on the opposite side as well.
The Jules Ahoka era begins
He protected the back line, made solid passes when needed, and perhaps most importantly, freed up both Noah Sadiki and Enzo Le Fée to be their best selves.
We can complain about what Florent Ghisolfi did or didn’t do in the summer, but what a find.
Sunderland’s shooting radar malfunctions
It didn’t cost us this time, but we’re still the Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.
As bad as we’ve been lately, we were dangerous early in the year, but weren’t getting the goal returns we needed.
At some point, all of these chances are going to start pouring in…right?
Trai Hume empties the tank…perhaps unnecessarily?
Hume was solid but he was dead on his feet for about the final thirty minutes, and it almost cost us. I love the Northern Irishman, but nobody loves him more than Régis Le Bris.
Loyalty is great, but he’s got to be more ruthless and take players out when they need it.
Tom Albrighton says…
“Everything In Its Right Place”
Effort passion, hunger, desire…after questioning it all after Thursday, that’s the response the fans wanted to see and a welcome return to last season’s style sprinkled with a point to prove served Sunderland tremendously.
We saw glimpses at home to Brentford in the cup but our style of play should be non-negotiable at this stage, and the fans would thank you for it.
“Kid A”
Granit Xhaka went off and everything could’ve went west, but step up, Jules Ahoka.
A mend-bending performance from a player with barely ten games of senior experience — he won everything, was silky on the ball and just a joy to watch.
“Sit Down. Stand Up”
I thought the crowd today was absolutely magnificent and I don’t think there’s any argument against how much that positively impacted proceedings.
Despite recent setbacks, the Stadium of Light was jumping for such a key game. Of course, a proactive start from the Lads always helps but that atmosphere felt more like last season than ever before and we need more of that going forward.
There’s a real kick in being part of such a pent up and aggressive crowd for all the right reasons. This wasn’t just about the players standing up and being counted, but the fans too, and when the chips were down, everyone came calling.
“Optimistic”
We’re far from the finished article and it was another game where we didn’t score from open play, but the signs really are there that we can drag ourselves from this mess.
As long as we stay true to what we saw yesterday and at Brentford a few weeks ago, we have more than a fighting chance. Hard running, hard tackling, aggressive and direct football is what gets the crowd going and when the moment is right, players are allowed to express themselves.
This was about doing what we do well more than trying to be something we aren’t and it showed across the pitch.
There have been a few green shoots but this is where the standard should be — not just for Chelsea but for the rest of the season. The optimist in me hopes that this is the final line in the sand for how we go about our business but the players have to recognise this is the expectation regardless of the opposition.
Do that more often than not, and we’ll be fine.
Will Patterson says…
Reinildo and Mukiele: form is temporary, class is permanent
I said after Dinamo Zagreb I really feel like Reinildo is undervalued at Sunderland. And when what can be deemed as a ‘raw’ prospect in Jules Ahoka comes into the side and takes to it so easily, you could be forgiven for wondering if Dayann Methalie could do the same at left back.
What Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele have is pedigree. Both have spent a large majority of their career towards the upper echelons of European football and it shows — not just in their touch, their defensive contributions or even how they contribute with the ball.
It’s the urgency and speed of thought that makes them stand apart. Their decision-making in when to bring a ball down rather than head it or to win a foul rather than risk dispossession.
They’re a class above, and it shows.
Régis Le Bris enjoys the backing of his players
Aside from the obvious comparisons to last season’s playing style, it was clear to me that Le Bris has the backing of his players.
I urge you to do the following: watch the passages of play prior to his substitutions and watch the shape of the team immediately after.
When Brian Brobbey was losing his head or when we felt Chelsea looked like they could’ve lost the ball deep the deep/mid-block Le Bris set out was all over. When Wilson Isidor came on, and later Chris Rigg and Nilson Angulo, instructions came on too.
To me this isn’t just about battling or systems or tactics. They showed they trust the words of the manager. Without that trust, instructions are just words.
How do you solve a problem like Xhaka?
Granit Xhaka has caught his fair share of flak this season and at times, rightly so.
I question how he positions himself with a body that he must know is on the decline and at times I’ve questioned his decision making when under pressure — something I was in awe of him for last year.
What is now a problem is that Ahoka appears a more than able and ready deputy, and really was the standout midfielder against Chelsea.
Depth is not a problem when we think of Kevin Danso vs Omar Alderete or Trai Hume against Thomas Meunier. Instead, it’s a problem with the club captain.
Like it, question it or loathe it, Xhaka’s words and opinions have sway at the club. In a squad which has a number of young players, a figurehead like him is an incredibly valuable asset. He can’t play the cheerleader role that Luke O’Nien has been content at doing at times — he’s too big for that.
And so whilst we all believe that Ahoka can come in and take that role as his own, an idea without evidence is just a theory. If Ahoka continues to prove what he’s doing so far, there are difficult decisions and conversations to be had about our captain.
Mixed fortunes for Trai Hume
Find me a Sunderland fan that doesn’t like Trai Hume and you’ll have found a liar. Find me a Sunderland fan that doesn’t like Trai Hume as a winger and you’ll have found a reasonable person.
I can go into why it doesn’t work and why we’ve seen enough of it to know this, but the fact of the matter is it doesn’t. Regardless of whether a true right winger wins that game more comfortably for us is a non-starter as they simply aren’t there.
For Le Bris, I’d like to refer him to the definition of insanity.
