Alex Charlton says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Robin Roefs
According to reports, we’d missed out on several goalkeeping targets and given how little I knew about him, the division he was playing in and his price tag, I had my reservations about his ability. To be honest, I was also slightly disappointed that Anthony Patterson was not given a chance after his Wembley heroics — now, I have to applaud both decisions.
We needed to be defensively resolute at the start of the season to have any foundation, and I feel the Flying Dutchman’s confidence and ability
aided our back line and then some.
Not only is he a superb shot stopper, he’s also confident in claiming high balls — something Patto couldn’t do so well. Yes, he has had his errors, but he’s by no means the finished product.
The reported interest from top clubs is unsurprising, and I hope we hang onto him.
Favourite away day: Everton
Seeing as the only away day I was able to get tickets to was Fulham, I won’t be choosing that for obvious reasons!
There are many away games I enjoyed watching from home, including Newcastle, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, but I’m going to go with our win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
I wasn’t sure what to expect before the game. Everton hadn’t been great at home, while we had picked up some superb results on the road, and with both teams chasing Europe, and I expected a close affair.
Going in at half-time one down was a blow as I didn’t think it was deserved, but the second half display was absolutely outstanding and it encapsulated our ability to fight until the end. Not only was it a superb team performance, but Enzo Le Fée showcased his very best, while I always enjoy a Wilson Isidor goal from the bench.
It was obviously our final away game of the campaign and it set up one of the greatest days in our history.
Anth Gair says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Robin Roefs
Plenty of shouts for this one.
Chemsdine Talbi kept popping up with goals that actually mattered — big moments in big games.
Bertrand Traoré grew into the season and became more and more important right up until that injury, which was a sickener. And Luke O’Nien? Honestly, unreal for nearly every minute he was on the pitch, and nobody saw it coming. He just didn’t play enough for me to hand him the badge.
So it goes to Roefs. And aye, hands up, there’s a bit of goalkeepers’ union bias here.
I’m a keeper myself, so I know exactly what it takes to stand in that goal week in and week out, in the best league in the world, at only twenty three years of age having turned up from NEC Nijmegen with next to nobody outside Sunderland knowing your name.
He didn’t just cope. He was outstanding. Walked in, took the number one shirt off Anthony Patterson and never looked back.
Ten clean sheets, he started every league game we asked him to, and the numbers were even better than the eye test — the joint-best shot-stopping figures in the whole division and only one goalkeeper in the country preventing more goals. From a lad nobody expected anything from to one of the most coveted goalkeepers in England in a single season.
That’s your surprise package. Hands off, by the way. He’s ours.
Favourite away day: Chelsea
Now, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t actually there for this one, and it still nags at me. Stamford Bridge, 25 October, and I watched every minute of it from home, chewing my nails off.
We had no right whatsoever to win it.
Alejandro Garnacho stuck them in front inside four minutes on his full debut, and you could feel everyone bracing for a long afternoon in the capital. Same old script, you’d think. “Plucky Sunderland turn up at a big club, have a go, and get sent home with nowt”.
Not this lot.
Wilson Isidor levelled it after Nordi Mukiele launched one of those ridiculous long throws into the box and the whole thing fell apart for them. Then, deep into stoppage time, Talbi ran onto Brian Brobbey’s lay-off and rolled it into the bottom corner.
And I’d have given anything to be in that away end when it hit the net. I could see our lot going berserk in the corner, thousands of them down in London losing their minds, and there’s me leathering the settee in the front room. Buzzing and sick with envy all at once.
We didn’t just win down there, we ended their little four-game winning run and went second in the Premier League. Second. Let that sink in. Sunderland, second in the country at the end of October.
To the few thousand who were actually in that ground to see it: I’m made up for you, and I hate every one of you. That’s the away day I’d give anything to have been at.
Ben McKevitt says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Noah Sadiki
For me, there’s only one obvious answer for this, and I’m going to have to agree with John by going with Sadiki.
He was brought in without a huge amount of fanfare as he followed the massively anticipated and expensive transfer of a certain Habib Diarra. Both the price tag and reputation of Diarra had Lads’ fans stirring in a bit of a frenzy as it was the first indication that we were serious in the summer, with the added bonus of royally pissing off jealous Leeds fans.
Sadiki himself appeared some days later for a significantly lower fee but sharing many of the same traits as Diarra — a promising, young, French-speaking central midfield player whose arrival also pissed off Leeds fans. I think that price tag shaped some initial impressions.
From the first friendlies in which we got a chance to see Sadiki, he impressed massively and looked levels above both what we expected of him and his teammates.
I really think that from that point onwards, we’ve taken his talent for granted. I’m not sure that he was brought in with the express intention to start him in the midfield immediately – but his talent has demanded it from start to finish.
He does get plenty of plaudits, but I think it’s still overlooked how impressive it has been for such a young midfielder to come in and completely lock down his place in a stacked midfield.
He does what none of our other options can do with his mixture of athleticism, willingness, intelligence and on-ball ability. When all four central midfielders were fit at once, I didn’t see a single shout to replace or displace Sadiki with any of the others — his qualities are totally indispensable.
He obviously has some weaknesses to his game which become more noticeable the further up the pitch he gets, but he’s a truly immense talent and will likely have a fantastic career, whether it’s in red and white or not.
Favourite away day: Nottingham Forest
Whilst our home form was the bedrock for our season and success, away days were very kind in spells. Being generously hosted by the Visitors was an obvious highlight but one that sticks out a bit more in my mind than it might for some is the Nottingham Forest game.
For me, it was a glorious moment, watching from a quaint apartment in the South of France and able to celebrate accordingly after victory was confirmed. On a more general note, it demonstrated that we had a plan and an ability to win against Premier League opposition when on away turf.
Omar Alderete’s early header was a sign of the times as we had early set piece dominance while our defensive performance to hold out as Forest piled on the pressure was nerve-wracking but ultimately very rewarding. It was a fourth consecutive unbeaten game; it boosted us up to fifth in the league and it continued the frankly unbelievable start and vibes we had at the time.
Little did we know it would hardly end…
Ian Bendelow says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Luke O’Nien
I’m going to go for a player that we know better than almost anyone — not because we were unsure as to how good he would be, but how good he would be at Premier League level.
Step forward, O’Nien, AKA the odds defier, the man whose mentality is wrapped in a kevlar jacket, without doubt someone who thrives in playing the game his way to great success.
He’s someone supporters have had a curious relationship through the years — you know some still don’t accept he is a central defender and would prefer to see him playing elsewhere (am I joking, you decide?) — but if there’s a man that’s thrived on being written off more than him, I’d like to see him.
The added ingredient this year is the focus of fans of other top flight clubs who delighted in saying he was our weak link and was cited as a reason we would get relegated. Yet his record in games he played has been excellent, turning in two ‘man of the match’ performances and being a part of a defence that — Aston Villa aside — looked very solid. This reached a crescendo last week when he shackled a Chelsea forward line which cost the GDP of a small country.
I must admit that I had my doubts, but O’Nien once again has proved us all wrong.
Favourite away day: Everton
Aside from the Mags, which was addressed previously, it has to be Everton away in the penultimate game of the season — a clash which Sunderland grew into and after half time utterly dominated.
It felt like an affirmation of Régis Le Bris’ tweaked way of playing which will serve as a blueprint for next season. His changes with fifteen minutes to go signalled we were going for it — as he made clear was his mantra back in the summer of 2024.
The result was a victory which made us realise that yes, Europe was possible.
John Wilson says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Noah Sadiki
I haven’t chosen any player that was with us last season in the Championship as a surprise package, as I had faith that many of them could make the step up and those given a chance generally took it.
Of the many new signings, Sadiki has impressed me most.
I listened to Haway The Podcast when they discussed him with an overseas journalist, and his summary of Sadiki has proved to be spot on. Fast off the mark over several metres, but not necessarily over longer distances. Never stops running; an absolute terrier, making an absolute nuisance of himself. Keeps play moving and pushing up the pitch.
We were also told he’d become a crowd favourite and he’s certainly done that.
After listening to his qualities, I was looking forward to seeing him play, and I’ve not been disappointed. He plays with positivity and a smile on his face, and is a key member of the squad. I’m not sure about the rumours that he could be sold on — hopefully that’s unfounded.
An excellent season and valuable member of the squad.
Favourite away day: Newcastle
I can’t get to away games, but I watch on TV when we’re live.
There were some tense and exciting away games this season but using the metric of “which game would I have made my neighbours wonder what the heck was going on”, it has to be the away win at the Visitors.
It had everything and by the end, you could only hear one set of supporters (apart from my neighbours who could only hear me!) and it was our joyous fans.
A memorable day and match. My voice was hoarse, all in the comfort of my own living room!
Jon Guy says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Nordi Mukiele
There was a lot of fanfare around many of our summer signings but Mukiele almost crept under the radar with a lot of focus elsewhere — and he would’ve been my player of the season if Granit Xhaka hadn’t been so fabulous through the campaign.
He oozed class from the outset and rarely had an off-day
Favourite away day: Chelsea
Simply because it was an early test and we looked so accomplished throughout the game then got the winner so late with a well-worked goal to give us what we deserved from the game.
The atmosphere in the away end was electric and we’ve had some really good results at Stamford Bridge, so it holds good memories.
Lee Morrison says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Robin Roefs
Having watched plenty of Premier League football whilst we were dwelling in League One and the Championship, there was one common theme that helped lead to low points totals and inevitable relegation from promoted teams: poor goalkeeping.
Whilst I had some sympathy for Anthony Patterson, we can all agree that it would’ve been a risk to have him as our starting goalkeeper in the Premier League and we certainly wouldn’t have ended up wirh such a historic finish — and a massive element of this has been down to Robin Roefs.
Considering that this has been his second professional season, he’s been absolutely immense. So much so, in fact, that he is one of the names that often gets linked to a big move; going forward though, I hope he sticks with us for another season, at least.
His presence and calmness in goal is superb and there were several moments where he helped us secure points. Ten clean sheets in your first season is no mean feat, not least when they include clean sheets against Manchester United and Manchester City.
There’s also the small matter of his distribution, which is superb, and there have been several points this season where Roefs has been a focal point of our counter-attacks.
Although some might be frustrated when he takes time on the ball, I feel like this is more of a tactical move from the coaching staff, as opposed to something specific to Roefs as an individual.
Based on what he’s been saying in interviews and on social media, Roefs is going to be a big part of our European campaign next season. If he’s been this immense in his first season in the Premier League, I can only imagine how good he’ll be next year.
Favourite away day: Chelsea
Considering the start of the game, where we allowed Alejandro Garnacho (alleged leaker of team sheets), to score, the end result was a perfect embodiment of the resilience and “never-say-die” attitude that the team possesses.
As we know, away points are incredibly difficult to get in the Premier League. On a personal level, I’m always delighted when we come away with a draw, so to leave Stamford Bridge with all 3 points on that day was superb.
The most memorable moment had to be Chemsdine Talbi’s goal — although it wasn’t just the goal itself. It was everything around it: the fact that it started in our own box, the superb lofted ball from Lutsharel Geertruida, the fact that Brian Brobbey is still holding the ball up now, even as I type, down to the brilliant finish from Talbi.
Last-minute winners hit differently.
They especially hit differently when you’ve experienced such a significant amount of time away from the Premier League. I’d have been delighted had that been the only late winner we scored this season, but the fact that it’s just one of many makes it even sweeter!
Malc Dugdale says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Omar Alderete
I knew absolutely zero about the lad when we signed him and despite being a Paraguay international, there was no reason to expect what we’ve seen from his previous record, in my view.
At the age of twenty nine, he hadn’t really established himself at any one major team in the recent past, nor had he enjoyed a mass of successes.
His three seasons at Getafe (the first on loan) was his most settled period with ninety appearances and two goals, and I have to assume he really shone there to scouts like ours, hence the move for him. Before that, he only really matched that season with thirty one games in a season at Basel a few years before, scoring twice.
He’s perhaps the epitome of a data signing, with data that lummoxes like me can’t see, although he’s clearly shown a lot more than the statistics demonstrate.
His ability on the ball is crazy for a big lad who plays at the back. He’s great in the air and challenges for the ball well in both boxes, and he also scores the odd goal (and he could’ve had more this season). His confidence even when under pressure is amazing too.
He had a couple of shaky moments, but all defenders get done now and again in the Premier League.
It’s one of the best leagues in the world, but with the way Dan Ballard, Alderete, Nordi Mukiele and Luke O’Nien have overlapped and covered each other, we’ve been very blessed this season, and Alderete has been a huge part of that.
When he arrived, he was maybe only really a star in Paraguay for most, but after that season, he’s a Premier League defender of some credit. He’s probably the biggest surprise success and I suppose it shows laymen like me why he got a four-year contract when they signed him!
What a Rolls Royce. Another big “well done” to Florent Ghisolfi and the gang.
Favourite away day: Liverpool
We dominated last season’s Premier League champions on their own patch and really should’ve won the game.
Trai Hume hit the bar early on; Alderete put a free header off the outside of the post, and after they equalised with an own goal, Wilson Isidor rounded the goalkeeper only for his shot to be scrambled clear in the dying minutes, after an immaculate long ball out from Roefs.
That game told me we can beat any side anywhere this season, and we went on to have a very respectable away record across the campaign, winning five, drawing six and losing eight. And of course, we won more points from losing positions than anyone else.
Almost a massive away win, but it was a marker in our development as a really competitive top level side, and one that had my heart in my mouth time and again.
Maybe next season…
Michael Dunne says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Dan Ballard
Similar to what the rest have said, there’s an abundance of choice for surprise package of the season given that we were tipped to finish last by almost all the journalists and pundits but if I had to pick one, it would be Ballard. Whilst it may be suggested that Ballard being class wasn’t a surprise, I’m choosing him due to the sheer ease that he appeared to step up to Premier League level.
Big Dan’s performances when fit have been fantastic and his physicality and aerial dominance are perfect for the robustness of the top tier of English football.
It’s clear that he has all the components of a top defender and one could suggest that if he could stay fit regularly, he may have never have left Arsenal such is the quality he possesses. I hope that he can continue to excel with us going into next season, staying fit and avoiding hair pulling!
Favourite away day: Manchester United
Whilst it doesn’t have to be a game that I attended, I’m going to choose United away as it was one of the few I got to. In actual fact, my away day record this season is abysmal as they included our away trips to Burnley, United, West Ham and Arsenal — an aggregate defeat of 10-1!
Growing up, United was always the big side and it just felt great to go and play these teams in the league given the significant fall from grace that we had.
Despite defeat, the atmosphere in the away end was fantastic throughout and as it was still early in the season, there was still an air of giddiness amongst the fans that we were back in the Premier League.
Tom Albrighton says…
Sunderland’s surprise package: Nordi Mukiele
Before his arrival, I had absolutely no idea who the Frenchman was and despite a solid CV, I was left wondering what was niggling behind the scenes as to why he was joining Sunderland — how foolish was I.
As it transpired, his reference was none other than Granit Xhaka, who also captained him at Bayer Leverkusen and it soon become apparent as to why Xhaka wanted Mukiele airdropped into Wearside as soon as possible.
Utterly formidable, a brilliant technical player and versatile too, he’s bought into the club massively and you see that every week he steps onto the pitch.
Hard as nails, game as you like and he knows where the net is too. He’s also just that right level of bonkers that all good centre backs need to be.
Favourite away day: Everton (FA Cup)
There was only one away day I could tick off but it was a good one regardless, especially when Robin Roefs saved all three penalties in the crucial shoot out.
It was a pleasant day on the banks of the Mersey and thanks to the planning surrounding the Hill Dickinson Stadium, everyone managed to get their 10,000 steps in for the day.
The only downside to a jolly day out was the referee costing all those who parked in Liverpool One an extra tenner on the parking for giving away a soft penalty right at the end.
As for the ‘Hill Dicky’? It’s a lovely stadium from the outside but lacking inside; a generic copy-and-paste job from central Europe that lacks a lot of soul. No criticism of Everton here but such a stadium feels a bit wasted on them in the grand scheme of things.
