Sunderland’s midfield is full of both grit and talent this season — two things we’ve often lacked.
In days gone by, our midfielders were often weak and passive, sometimes allowing entire matches to pass them
by as the opposition waltzed through. Creating and signing quality midfielders was, for a long time, a real issue, and when we did get our hands on one, they didn’t remain a Sunderland player for long.
This strength in the middle of the park got us through games last season, with Jobe and Dan Neil leading the way and making sure we didn’t come unstuck in some potentially sticky games. They were part of a strong spine and along with Chris Rigg and to a lesser extent Alan Browne, we had lots of options to keep things fresh.
Promotion to the Premier League brought about the need to strengthen across the pitch, but it quickly became obvious that the club was going to invest a lot of funds into the midfield.
Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki came first, with around £50 million spent on the duo. We then got what was probably the “marquee signing” in Granit Xhaka and suddenly, we had three midfielders whom the club viewed as an upgrade.
The new signings strengthened our midfield no end, and with the departure of Jobe, and Browne becoming surplus to requirements, the middle of the park now looks completely different. Each of the three midfielders we’ve signed have won trophies and racked up appearances in Europe, and we’ve already seen them click this season.
The next few weeks will be interesting as for the first time, we’ll probably see the midfielders of both this season and last coming together. Diarra is out of action until December and the extent of Sadiki’s injury is yet to be disclosed — although Régis Le Bris’ press conference on Thursday was fairly positive on this front.
These injuries have opened the door for Chris Rigg, Neil, and Enzo Le Fée to show what they can do.
Rigg hasn’t looked out of place during the minutes he’s put in and Le Fée has played most of his football down the left hand side. Neil played a handful of minutes at the end of the 1-1 draw against Aston Villa and although his time on the pitch has been limited, we all know his time will soon come.
Getting the right blend in midfield is important for any team, especially one trying to make a name for itself in the Premier League. Each of the players mentioned here have their own qualities and all will contribute in the weeks and months to come. Getting the right pieces in the right place, depending on the teams we’re up against, will be another challenge Le Bris will relish.
In most games this season, Sunderland will have less of the ball than the opposition.
The trips to Liverpool and Manchester City in December will require our strongest runners, for example, whilst home games against the likes of Leeds and Burnley will probably allow us to have more of the ball and be able to do more with it.
Having a squad is vital in football, especially with the increased intensity and schedule pushing players to injury more often (don’t we know about that?), and the depth of Sunderland’s squad will be put to the test soon enough, with our midfielders shouldering much of this responsibility.
