I don’t normally feel the derby nerves this early into the week of a game, but I think that feeling at the pit of my stomach kinda sums up the place we’re in right now with Sunderland.
Obviously, it’s normal to be nervous before such a huge game, but there’s so much uncertainty about how we’re going to line up and who is going to be fit that it’s making me uncomfortable.
There are no guarantees that Robin Roefs, Reinildo Mandava, Nordi Mukiele, Enzo Le Fée, and Dan Ballard will be available for selection
next weekend, and not knowing is annoying me. I’m sure internally they’re going to keep their cards as close as they possibly can to their chests to ensure Newcastle gain no advantage from knowing which players Régis Le Bris will be able to choose from, and that’s absolutely the right way to approach it. Still, you can’t deny that a lot hinges on the availability of that clutch of players once Sunday rolls around.
That’s not to say that we should feel inherently negative about our chances, though. I saw people bemoan Chris Rigg starting on the right wing again when the teams were announced at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, yet the 18-year-old surprised everyone with a man-of-the-match performance, taking full advantage of his opportunity to play some first-team minutes in the Premier League. It’s not enough to convince me that Rigg is going to be the long-term solution to Sunderland’s problems out wide, but it’s a sign that even in the face of adversity, we have players in the squad who are capable of coming in for this final run of games and making an impact.
When chances come along, you want to see all of the players do exactly what Riggy did at the weekend, and play so well that people are then talking about what more he can offer us over the coming games.
I’ve never questioned Rigg’s desire and motivation to succeed here at Sunderland, because what he’s achieved so far in his young career is nothing short of remarkable, but you have to think that he’s incredibly motivated, perhaps even more so than some of his teammates, to play in the derby game this weekend.
I’m sure he’s played plenty of games for Sunderland at youth level against the mags, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing at senior level, and for a local lad who grew up with a foot in both camps, there’s no greater stage to perform on than in a derby against the Visitors in the Premier League.
I know lots has been made in the past about Rigg’s ties to Newcastle – he was brought up by mag-supporting parents and I have no doubt that his household will be a conflicted one this week in the build-up to the game – but his commitment to Sunderland has never been an issue, and he’ll be absolutely desperate to play on Sunday and make a huge impression. Can you imagine if he had some say in the way the game plays out? What a story that would be – and this has been a couple of years where some of the things that have happened at this club, you simply could not have written.
That sense of what this game means to the people of Sunderland needs to be well established around the training ground. The Lads got a taste for it when we beat them at the Stadium of Light in December, but it’s a whole different scenario this time around, and taking them on in their own backyard is something that none of these players have experienced in a Sunderland shirt.
Characters like Chris Rigg, despite his youthfulness, will be hugely important in delivering that message. The players have to fully understand what this means, going away to play against Newcastle, to play like their lives depend on it, and I hope that they do. It requires a whole other level of commitment and determination that they likely haven’t had to reach this season, and I include the win at home in that because it’s a damn sight easier to do it when forty-odd thousand Mackems surround you than it is when their lot surrounds you.
Thankfully, we have some big-game players, and I do not doubt that the walking wounded are busting a gut to ensure they’re fit for this one. It’s such an honour to be able to represent Sunderland in these games, and I hope that isn’t lost on the players. Sunday is all about bragging rights, of course, but it’s also about where we go from here until the end of the season. Another Sunderland win would keep us in the conversation for a top-half finish, and a point would be a great result too, but we just cannot lose. Losing is not an option.
Preparation is key. No matter who we have available, the team has to be ready. No excuse-making, no finger-pointing, no complaining about the last couple of results – draw a line under things and crack on. The outcome of Sunday’s game is far too important for us to be getting caught up in stuff from the past that we cannot change.
