Dean McDonald says…
Sunderland get back into the grove!
The first team lads looked up to speed immediately.
Enzo Le Fée in particular didn’t miss a beat and didn’t look like a player just back in pre-season.
Aji Alese’s comeback
Alese returned and completed forty five minutes with no trouble.
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t like Alese and it was great for him to complete forty five minutes at the start of pre-season.
An early exit for Leo Hjelde
Hopefully just a precaution but a shame for Hjelde as he’d have been looking to put himself in the shop window this pre-season.
A slack-ish final half an hour
The final twenty
to thirty minutes was a bit sloppy and some of the younger lads struggled slightly.
Not a huge negative as they were playing against a League Two side at a young age and maybe a bit more composure was needed for some, but a good experience for them nonetheless.
Mark Ryan says…
Jocelin Ta Bi stands out
I’m way too excited about Jocelin Ta Bi.
I love his tricks, his speed and his willingness to go at defenders. He’s going to contribute useful minutes.
Aji Alese and Jenson Seelt see valuable minutes
It was great to see Alese and Seelt on the field.
I don’t know if they can stick with Sunderland but I want them healthy and playing somewhere.
Sunderland’s backup striking options laid bare
I was hoping someone would make a play for their striker.
Trey Ogunsuyi was OK, but Finn Geragusian was anonymous and Ahmed Abdullahi being in South Shields can’t be a good sign for him.
Defensive reinforcements needed
Leo Hjelde is a long shot to be in the squad, but his hopefully minor injury is a reminder how much the depth needs to be improved this summer.
Matthew Donne says…
Timur Tutierov makes his case
Timur looks like he’s a player with a future at the club and he looked dangerous, albeit against lower-league opposition.
Our French magician does what he does best!
Enzo Le Fée is just a magical footballer and how we got him to come and play for us in the Championship is just wild.
He oozes class.
An injury scare for Leo Hjelde
Hjelde going off injured was just a disappointment all round.
A player that played in the Premier League in his youth and could’ve been useful to some degree.
Aji Alese struggles somewhat
Further to Hjelde going off, Alese didn’t look anywhere near the level his potential suggests.
Perhaps this just shows the amount of work that’s needed behind the scenes to offload players.
Max says…
The senior players return and look sharp
Good for all of our senior players to get minutes and look a real class above.
Sunderland’s wingers catch the eye!
Timur Tutierov and Jocelin Ta Bi provided some real pace and sharpness on the wings.
Interested to hopefully see more of them in America!
Injury misfortune for Leo Hjelde
Hjelde getting injured and substituted was a disappointment, and hopefully it’s not something that might stop him getting a move.
A low-key end to the game
The game lost a little pace in the last twenty minutes and petered out.
Owen Sara says…
Timur Tutierov impresses
He looked the real deal (granted, it was against League Two opposition).
Enzo Le Fée is back!
Le Fee showed he’s still a level above, and I can’t believe he plays for Sunderland.
A late goal conceded and a slight lack of ruthlessness?
Disappointing to concede a goal and we could’ve maybe put them to the sword more in the second half.
Wadey says…
Sunderland’s attackers catch the eye
Timur Tutierov and Enzo Le Fée both looked class, and I particularly loved the through ball that Le Fée stuck away but was ruled out for offside.
Great to see them both on the scoresheet.
Leo Hjelde pulls up injured
Hjelde getting injured isn’t great news.
Sartorial shortcomings in the away dugout?
I was a bit disappointed with Regis Le Bris’ plain grey tracksuit.
