The Lads started pre-season ahead of their first European campaign in fifty three years in style, defeating York City 1-5 at the LNER Community Stadium.
Régis Le Bris named a starting eleven with a mix of first team names, backup options and returnees from loan, as our twelve-man strong World Cup contingent aren’t expected to return until late July and August, in phases dependent upon their nation’s progression in the tournament.
Pre-season is all about preparation and results are inconsequential,
but it was a lovely day out in York and it was lovely to see a pretty dominant performance in the first half wrap up the game before the entire team was changed after half time.
As a result, Alan Browne, Timur Tutierov and Trey-Samuel Ogunsuyi all started upon their returns from their respective loans at Middlesbrough, Exeter City and Falkirk/Shrewsbury Town last season.
While the trio may not last the summer at Sunderland, they all put in a good shift.
Ogunsuyi has matured physically; his hold-up play early on was impressive and his back-to-goal work and layoff allowed Jocelin Ta Bi to break on numerous occasions, and he also notched an assist as Enzo Le Fée calmly passed into the net after six minutes from outside the box.
Browne started the move and was tidy in possession after being deployed as our deep-lying midfielder on the day. He rarely gave the ball away in possession, built up a pretty natural understanding with Chris Rigg and Trai Hume in build-up and put in a few good tackles when York tried to break through the middle.
Tutierov, before pre-season, was largely expected to leave Wearside this summer but he put in a good shift here to stake a claim for a future at the club.
He regularly beat his man down the left, scored a peach of a goal from twenty five yards out, picked up an assist for Le Fée’s second and could’ve had another for a sumptuous Le Fée chip over the Minstermen’s keeper, but delayed his pass just a smidge too long and in that time, the Frenchman strayed offside in his run.
Le Fée was outstanding.
You’d expect him to be, but he continued his fine form from the end of last season and basically sent his marker, Joe Felix (I was convinced the stadium announcer called him ‘Joao’ pre-game), into the Enzo Le Fée penitentiary of missing defensive midfielders.
He dictated play, consistently fed Ogunsuyi, Ta Bi and Tutierov and could’ve had a hat trick of wonderfully-taken goals. Above everything else good about the Lads being back, it’s just such a delight to watch him in a Sunderland shirt, regardless of how important the game is.
Rigg started in his preferred central role and zipped the ball around with real purpose.
The pace of our progression through the middle really took advantage of the gulf in quality and league position between the two sides. He scored with a deft drop-of-the-shoulder after bamboozling the home side’s keeper and went close numerous other times from deep.
Ta Bi has a big opportunity on his hands — he’s the only senior winger currently fit and at the club.
Romaine Mundle is still recovering from his injuries last season, while Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra and Nilson Angulo are all yet to return from international duty. On the subject of absences, it’s also probably time to cover that Dan Ballard was missing yesterday (likely also recovering from surgery that he underwent during his suspension late last season) and Anthony Patterson was also absent. I’m unsure why, but it could be linked to a potential transfer away?
The defence was largely untroubled, aside from when the hosts switched from a back four to a back three and went for wing overloads, but their only troubling moment was given offside, until Reinildo gave the ball away in a dangerous position before then putting in a strong recovery tackle to regain possession. Nordi Mukiele was dominant, as ever.
Le Bris changed the entire team at half-time, with a raft of U21 players coming in, while Jenson Seelt, Leo Hjelde and Aji Alese made their returns from loans at Wolfsburg, Sheffield United and Portsmouth. Hjelde didn’t last long as he seemed to overstretch in a missed tackle/air-kick and was substituted for Ben Kindon, looking in some pain.
Charlie Dinsdale and Tom Proctor looked really lively in the first ten to fifteen minutes as the young attacking players really took advantage of York’s tiredness (they didn’t substitute anyone at half time) and exposed their lack of pace in behind.
Proctor played Dinsdale in behind two or three times early in the half, and on the final occasion started and finished the move that led to the goal. Dinsdale beat his man a few times out wide, cut in and sent a short, mid-height cross into the box as Proctor headed in with a finish his dad would’ve been proud of in his playing days.
This came not long after York got their own goal, after a mix-up and deflection in the box.
Seelt attacked the front post but didn’t rise to clear; Simon Moore was rooted to the line and Alese/Hjelde didn’t really attack the ball nor track their runner as York fired in from only a few yards out. It was a bit strange, and will be worth revising regardless of who was on the pitch.
However, after fifteen minutes, York changed their entire side, and essentially dominated the ball for the rest of the match.
The younger lads in midfield and attack struggled to hold onto possession but defended very resolutely. Finn Geragusian was a handful early on, but after the changes he was shackled by a pair of experienced central defenders as the lads struggled to get into York’s half. It was a real physical mismatch.
Seelt also excelled in this phase — he led by example and put in one particularly great and well-timed late sliding tackle.
Ultimately, we look in a far stronger position than we did a year ago thanks to that raft of summer recruitment — and Le Bris echoed this in his post-match thoughts.
“It’s half of the job we’ve done last season, so it’s going to be different. More precise, which is good because we have a strong foundation.”
York will likely be near the top of their league this season, as history suggests of National League title winners.
They were a very physical test and passed the ball brightly. Our quality shone through, particularly with the senior players largely featuring in the first half, but it was a really good test to begin pre-season.
The ground itself is a bit weird.
It’s new and was built as part of the Premier League FSIF (Football Stadia Improvement Fund) but is largely the same as most League One and League Two grounds built between 2017 and 2022 as part of this fund.
Oddly, a bowling alley, cinema and leisure centre are built into it; it’s miles away from a city centre and smack bang in the middle of about four different retail and industrial parks, but it was a good day out.
First half Sunderland XI: Ellborg, Hume, Mukiele; O’Nien (C), Reinildo, Browne; Rigg, Ta Bi, Le Fee; Tutierov, Ogunsuyi.
Second half Sunderland XI: Moore, Jenson Jones, Seelt; Hjelde (Kindon), Alese, Jayden Jones; Whittaker, Scott, Proctor; Dinsdale, Geragusian.
