Right-Hand Side Play
Interestingly, despite being our most targeted area to strengthen in the summer market, the right side of the pitch again yielded the most rewards as we built our attacks. Le Bris once again played Trai Hume in a pseudo-wing role on the right, as waves of attacks developed between Hume himself, Habib Diarra, Brian Brobbey and the ever-excellent Nordi Mukiele.
It was Nordi, of course, who claimed the only goal of the match, slamming a low shot past the (quite poor) Wrexham goalkeeper on 34 minutes.
It finished off a wonderful move involving three of the four aforementioned players, as Hume neatly found Brobbey inside the box, who in turn played Mukiele through on goal with a sublime first touch.
It was a good demonstration of how we like to build attacks through fluid positioning and overlaps, even without the out-and-out right winger we so desperately want to recruit. It was also a timely reminder of Nordi’s exceptional quality at right-back, perhaps further cementing that as his primary position for the upcoming season.
Brobbey and Diarra Shine
Contributing to that excellent play on the right were the individual performances of Habib Diarra and Brian Brobbey. I thought both gave fantastic accounts of themselves and demonstrated just how influential they can be, albeit in very different ways.
Brobbey’s hold-up play and tenacity to bully defenders were on full display as he essentially tortured Dominic Hyam for the duration of his appearance, earning the defender a yellow card and somehow having a blatant foul – and potential penalty – waved away. The assist for Nordi was a lovely bonus to cap off an excellent performance.
Hyam is not a Premier League-standard defender, I know that, but seeing big Brobbey in his element is always a joyful sight. The sharpness in his play is a great contrast to his slow start last season and, hopefully, he can kick on even further this year.
Diarra, on the other hand, provided brilliant directness and a willingness to run that gave a real cutting edge to our attacking play. Defenders really struggle with his speed and athleticism and, while his touch can let him down and his decision-making is not always the best, he has a lot of attributes that could prove hugely beneficial next season if harnessed effectively.
Adingra and Mundle Fail to Grab Their Opportunities
On the flipside of the two standout performers above were two disappointing displays from Simon Adingra and Romaine Mundle, in my opinion.
It is only pre-season, so there is nothing on the line for the team, but for the players themselves there is still plenty to play and fight for with the precious minutes they are being afforded.
Mundle is clearly trying hard and getting himself around the pitch, but I really can’t help feeling that he needs a move for both his own sake and Sunderland’s. He’s arguably fourth-choice on the left wing now and, unfortunately, I no longer see the cutting edge he demonstrated after we lost Jack Clarke during our Championship campaign.
I have no doubt he could rediscover that form after such an unfortunate run of injuries, but I was disappointed not to see more from him during these opportunities. Talbi will be back for our next games and Angulo showed more in his half than Mundle did in his.
Simon Adingra finds himself in a strange position this pre-season. He still has an opportunity to prove his worth and reclaim a place in the team, but he is also demonstrating the very reasons he was allowed to leave on loan last season, in my opinion.
The ideas are often good and the technical side of his game is undoubtedly there, as he showed last season, but his decision-making, defensive work and concentration are still lacking for me. There are moments where he does something genuinely progressive before misplacing a simple 10-yard pass, and unfortunately that rather sums up his contributions.
Overall Performance
I thought the overall performance was a clear step up from the previous two US games, especially during the first half.
We played close to full strength, with the notable absence of Enzo Le Fée due to a (hopefully) minor knock, and that extra quality shone through against a mediocre Championship side.
Rigg has been excellent throughout 2026 and his performances are becoming a highlight of every game at this point.
Sadiki came in for a start and his partnership with Rigg, operating as a sort of double pivot, worked very well despite the absences of Granit Xhaka behind them and Enzo ahead of them.
Luke O’Nien had another fantastic, if not particularly eventful, performance alongside Dan Ballard, who looked assured as always. We arguably should have made more of the chances we created, with Sadiki, Mundle and Angulo all coming close, but it’s encouraging to see the lads creating those opportunities in the first place.
The midfield depth is looking like a real strength, with us able to rely on both Diarra and Rigg in central midfield despite both arguably being bench players when everyone is fit.
The same cannot be said of the rest of the team, though, and there was a clear drop-off in intensity and quality after all of the substitutions had been made. It’s not a knock on the lads – we’re still missing key figures like Xhaka and Alderete – but the lack of genuine depth in several key positions really must be addressed over the coming weeks.
It was also interesting to see Anthony Patterson get some minutes off the bench, especially as he was wearing the captain’s armband. I can’t help but feel this was a particularly “on-the-nose” shop-window moment for him, considering Wrexham’s reported interest, but it was good to see him back and he looked sharp.
The US Tour Comes to a Close
The US tour has now come to a close and, in the main, I believe it has been a success.
Jocelin Ta Bi’s absence is unfortunate from both an individual and squad perspective, but the conditions and opposition have provided an opportunity to build fitness and lay solid foundations as the lads head into the final stages of pre-season.
As we move forward, I’m hoping to see a further increase in intensity and team cohesion, especially as the remaining World Cup players return to the fold. Similarly, I’m hopeful that Enzo and Nordi’s knocks are nothing serious and that both can return for the Lens clash later this week.
Finally, I remain optimistic that we can bring in some new recruits sooner rather than later, as a good pre-season can make a huge difference to how you begin a Premier League campaign – and the opening weekend is fast approaching.
All in all, though, it’s been a very encouraging start.
