Amid a sense of immense disappointment, it felt as if there were two inevitabilities about Sunderland’s frustrating opening-day defeat to Ipswich Town.
The first was that any and all errors committed by Luke O’Nien would be met with the usual vitriol on social media, and the second was that if a winning goal was going to be scored by the hosts, it would more than likely come from the trusty boot of former red and white flyer Jack Clarke, sold to Ipswich in 2024 and whose transfer proved a key milestone
on Sunderland’s road to promotion.
Cue that hackneyed line of “You can’t write scripts like this” or however it goes… except you apparently can.
Someone probably predicted such an outcome, but amid grumblings about how O’Nien is supposedly a ‘liability’ and Clarke breaking the footballer’s code by celebrating a goal against his former club (who actually cares? He deserved that moment), the fact remains that the Lads’ lack of energy, cohesion and resilience proved costly at Portman Road.
OK, Hull’s victory over a witless Manchester United side earlier in the day had caught everyone’s attention and, in the long run, perhaps the newly promoted sides will make a decent fist of this campaign. On the other hand, how prepared were Sunderland for this assignment?
You can always find yourself being sucker-punched on the opening day, as we did to West Ham last season, but whether Régis Le Bris’ players were fully ready in both body and mind for this fixture is open to debate.
To my mind, there was more than enough quality in the starting eleven and on the bench to have seen us home, but a sluggish display marked by defensive errors and a lack of sharpness proved costly.
It’s been a funny old summer on Wearside.
Friendly victories over Lens and Rennes following a money-spinning mini-tour of the USA had given everyone cause for optimism, but none of those games were exactly what you’d call ‘intense’ and a peculiarly static summer transfer window had also raised concerns.
Thankfully, Dayann Méthalie finally got his move after a minor scare and some last-minute wrangling with Toulouse, and Royal Antwerp midfield prospect Jules Ahoka will be very much a Sunderland signing of the times, but there’s a valid argument to say that we need more before the sun sets on another suitably manic window.
The squad is not weak, but it’s not deep enough and it’s somewhat unbalanced, and if Saturday didn’t provide enough evidence, little else will.
Wingers? We’ve got plenty of them to choose from.
Ecuadorian livewire Nilson Angulo’s free kick was a thing of Barclays-era beauty, but such is our crop of wide attackers’ current rate of development that you can’t bet the house on them at this stage.
Patience will be key for Angulo and others, but the addition of a reliable wide man with pace, goals and an accurate cross in his arsenal is a must.
Sunderland’s central defence, though marshalled by quality operators and the foundation of last season’s successes, doesn’t yet look up to par and still needs to be fine-tuned.
Injury concerns linger, with Dan Ballard in particular currently looking some way short of his best and Omar Alderete appearing rusty after a lengthy absence.
Up front, Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor have quality in abundance, but a third option – perhaps in the shape of a speedy youngster on loan or another hidden gem from the continent – would surely be something worth pursuing.
Back at Portman Road, summer arrival Thomas Meunier was one of the major bright spots, the Belgian international having pitched up at the Stadium of Light as a free agent after a trophy-laden tour of some of Europe’s top clubs.
Meunier seems to be cut from the same kind of leadership cloth as Granit Xhaka and, if his post-match interview was anything to go by, he’s not here to mess around, to coast through games for a final payday or to live off the vibes of last season’s achievements.
Winners want to win and Meunier is a winner.
Live up to his standards, lads. He won’t settle for less.
If Sunderland’s 2026/2027 season potentially marks the ‘difficult second album’ phase of our Premier League journey, Saturday was an example of the lead singer failing to properly warm up, attempting to hit a high C thirty seconds into the opening track and losing their range.
There’s absolutely no reason to panic, and Sunday’s visit of Fulham is a good chance to find our rhythm and get that first win on the board, but this was an underwhelming opening to what promises to be a historic season.
Let’s hope we’re in better shape when the Cottagers and the Sky Sports cameras roll into town next week.
