When we signed him from Ajax late in the summer transfer window, I remember feeling a mixture of intrigue, excitement and optimism as Brian Brobbey became the latest young prospect to join the Régis Le
Bris-led revolution on Wearside.
A name I was vaguely familiar with and once touted as an up-and-coming star in Amsterdam, Brobbey had experienced some well-documented personal strife during his final season at Ajax, and it felt like a good bet that his move to Sunderland represented a fresh start and a chance to unlock his potential. Same red and white stripes; different environment and different coaching setup.
Naturally, such a high-profile signing led to plenty of discussion — not least after Chelsea striker Marc Guiu’s too-short-to-be-real loan spell was brought to an end, but it was clear that it would take time for Brobbey to get his bearings at the Stadium of Light, and that’s what’s happening now.
In recent weeks, Brobbey’s two main contributions have been to set up Chemsdine Talbi’s winner at Stamford Bridge (an assist followed by all kinds of social media quips about what else he could hold up, with the North London traffic being a particular favourite) and against Arsenal, he made himself the hero with a dramatic late equaliser, hooking the ball past David Raya and denying the table-toppers a crucial away win.
Indeed, the TV replays showed how smart a finish it was as he used his physical presence to disrupt the Gunners’ defence, with superb agility and a deft touch to finish it off — and if the goal itself didn’t make for a dramatic enough image, Brobbey’s celebrations alongside his equally jubilant teammates certainly did.
This was the response of a man who was clearly elated to have gotten off the mark in a Sunderland shirt and was determined to show just how much it meant.
To my mind, there’s no reason that Brobbey can’t establish himself as a genuinely game-changing striker for Sunderland this season, and the physicality and poacher’s instinct he demonstrated on Saturday could be the qualities around which his entire game revolve.
Less rangy than Wilson Isidor and perhaps not the kind of centre forward who’ll beat offside traps for fun, Brobbey’s profile is nonetheless impressive and the way he set about the Arsenal backline after entering the fray on Saturday shouldn’t go unnoticed.
I’m loathe to use the phrase “battering ram” for fear of simplifying the kind of striker he is, but the Premier League is no cakewalk and if I were an opposing centre back, the thought of facing a fit and fired-up Brobbey with half an hour to play would certainly put me on notice, and I really hope that Le Bris and his coaches are encouraging the Dutchman to use his attributes to his advantage.
When it comes to Brobbey’s settling-in period on Wearside and the way he’s been managed thus far, I often think we need to give footballers more grace, to be considerate of things that we might not see, and not rush to judge them based on twenty minutes here or thirty minutes there.
Down at the Etihad Stadium, record-shattering Manchester City striker Erling Haaland may be a machine of a footballer in whose veins runs ice water (and even he missed a penalty against Liverpool at the weekend), but given the off-field struggles Brobbey has endured, is it asking for too much to request a little bit of understanding?
After all, with that comes a feeling of being wanted, which in turn leads to greater confidence and the ability to do the business when it matters — all of which will be vital as he navigates his way through the Premier League.
So impressively has Isidor taken to top flight football that Le Bris has been able to keep Brobbey and Eliezer Mayenda fresh and ready, and it’s an approach that should pay dividends particularly when we enter a hectic run of fixtures during Christmas and New Year, and the depth of our squad is put to the test. He’ll get plenty of opportunities in the months ahead and it’s up to him to ensure that they’re taken.
During our clash with the Gunners, the desire from Brobbey to get to the ball first and ensure that he wasn’t muscled out of it showed that he’s got a fire raging inside of him and a real desire to make the most of the opportunity afforded to him by Sunderland. He didn’t care who he was playing against and nor did he seem intimidated by the quality of the Arsenal defence, which was great to see.
Such dramatic last-minute interventions hint at a player with a strong mindset. I’m sure we’d all love to see him succeed on Wearside and in time, there’s every chance he can.
