Ben Thirkell

Sports Journalism Graduate @HuddersfieldUni

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

OTD: XHAKA SIGNED

A year ago today, Sunderland completed the signing of Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen. It would be a signing that would not only be a statement of intent to the rest of the league, but one that we can now say will go down as the most important in our history.

Granit started his career at Basel, where he was born back in 1992. Having joined their academy in 2003, he would make his debut seven years later at the age of just 17, coming on as a substitute in a Champions League Qualifier against Hungarian side Debrecen and scoring to earn his side a 2-0 victory in the first leg. Xhaka would play 29 games in all competitions that season before playing 38 in the 2011/12 season which attracted interest from Germany.

It would be Borussia Monchengladbach that would secure the Swiss midfielders’ signature, penning a five-year deal at the club. He would stay for just four of those five years though, making the move to North London with Arsenal where he played a large portion of his career, spending seven years at the Emirates including becoming captain for the 2019/20 season.

He was maybe more remembered by the wider English audience for him being a bit of a hot head (quite ironic really given how important his leadership is here) including a rather infamous moment where he was booed off by his own fans in a game against Crystal Palace in 2019. He responded by sarcastically gesturing towards the fans and even visibly saying “f*ck off” twice angrily as fans jeered him. He then removed his shirt before walking straight down the tunnel, not exactly the scenes you want to see really from your skipper.

This resulted in him being stripped of the captaincy just a month and a week after being instated. He would then rarely feature and it was expected he would be moved on. However, incoming manager Mikel Arteta was willing to give Granit another chance. He would become a key player under Arteta and seemed to put any attitude issues in the past.

He finally moved on though in 2023, joining Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen for around £21 million. He would be a part of Die Schwartzrotens’ invincible season, winning both the DFB-Pokal and the Bundesliga, as well as being runners-up in the Europa League. After another solid season in 24/25, it came as a surprise to the whole footballing world when journalists where reporting newly-promoted Sunderland were interested in the Swiss.

Many laughed it off as rubbish (including a good few Mackems) but the rumour seemed to have something to it and after weeks of different outlets telling different stories, Sunderland reached an agreement with Bayer Leverkusen, and Granit Xhaka was on his way to Wearside.

He would take over from Dan Neil as captain, arriving for a steal of just £13 million. His impact on the pitch and off it was a huge factor in securing European football, and when he had a spell out of the side it showed just how important he was. Had he not signed who knows what league we’d have been playing this year but we absolutely would not have ended up as high as we did. With his future seemingly resolved, lets hope Granit can continue to help the club on its upward trajectory.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

TUTIEROV'S BREAKOUT YEAR?
BY BEN THIRKELL

Having spent the second half of last season out on loan at Exeter City, Timur Tutierov started at York on Saturday, scoring a great goal cutting in from the left, and has now been rewarded with a new contract at the club. So, the question is will Timur have a part to play this season?

In the last couple of seasons, the club has been given a lot of credit for the approach it has taken with young players, giving them a platform to showcase their talent at first team level. However, a side from Chris Rigg and Tommy Watson, none of our actual academy products seem to have had a look in. Harrison Jones got a handful of games and others have filled the bench but especially in the last two years, none have really been given that chance to play regularly.

That could very well be down to the fact they just weren’t good enough for the level and that is fine, but for a club that prides itself on its category one academy, it has lacked a breakthrough talent in the last couple of seasons. That may be about to change though, with Timur Tutierov benefitting from World Cup absentees to start the game at the LNER Stadium at the weekend. He impressed with a goal and looked very direct, the sort of mentality we have lacked at times on the wing recently. By no means am I saying Timur has put himself in with a shout of becoming our first choice left winger, but in a season where we could end up playing around 50 games should we do well in Europe and in the domestic cups, he may be a player that gets himself some opportunities.

He was brought to the club in 2023 from Ukrainian side Kolos Kovalivka and has been in the under 21s set up ever since. After a solid pre-season last year as well as a good start in the Premier League 2, League One side Exeter City brought him in to help battle against relegation.

He scored two in his first two games and was an instant hit down in Devon but he was mainly used as an impact sub, starting just seven of his 17 appearances at St James Park (no not that one) scoring three times and assisting once. Exeter were relegated and Tutierov can’t really be blamed for that.

There were suggestions earlier in the summer that he may end up being moved on but he seems to have impressed the right people and with a new contract and interestingly a statement from Florent Ghisolfi as apposed to somebody in the academy suggests Timur could well have a future at senior level.

With 12 subs allowed in the Europa League, he may get his chance in that as Le Bris will need to manage the workload of his squad.

Although only a pre-season game, his performance on Saturday was a positive one and it is always nice to see lads who come through the academy get a shot in the first team. We will have to see what sort of role he will play going forward but a contract extension shows the club see something in the Ukrainian that is worth sticking with.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

BARDGHJI LINKED
BY BEN THIRKELL

Sunderland are one of multiple sides interested in Barcelona and Sweden winger Roony Bardghji.

According to Naveen Ullal from Sports Witness, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fulham, Leeds United and of course Sunderland are reportedly are all in the race for him. Leeds seemed to be leading the way initially, seeking a loan for the winger, however they now have firm competition from fellow Premier League sides.

Bardghji only signed for Barcelona last summer, but has failed to live up to expectations since joining from Danish side Copenhagen. After a break out season in 23/24, including scoring the winner in a 4-3 victory over Manchester United at Parken in the Champions League, he suffered a serious knee injury which ruled him out of most of the 24/25 campaign. This did not stop Barcelona swooping in, though, paying just 2 million euros with some performance based add-ons.

The question could be asked whether the knee injury has caused his lack of impact at the Nou Camp, or whether the competition with Raphinha, Marcus Rashford and of course Lamine Yamal have made it difficult for the Swede.

Sunderland will definitely need to add more quality out wide, with creativity lacking at times in those areas throughout last season. On top of the departure of Bertrand Traore and rumoured interest in Simon Adingra, it’s a position we will need to add to.

With no bid yet put in it’s hard to tell how strong our interest is, but he would fit our recruitment model, a young player who has maybe lost his way a bit in need of somewhere to settle.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

THOMAS MEUNIER: WHO ARE YOU?
BY BEN THIRKELL

It seems like Sunderland have finally gotten the ball rolling on the incoming front for the summer, with right-Back Thomas Meunier set to join the club on a free transfer. But what can fans expect from the Belgian?

At the age of 34, Meunier has a pretty decorated career, bringing plenty of European experience to the club. Having started his career Virton in Belgium, he moved to Club Brugge where he spent five seasons winning the Belgian Pro League and the Belgian Cup. Like current players Chemsdine Talbi and Noah Sadiki have already proved, Belgium football is a good place to develop as a young player and in Meunier’s case it gave him the platform to sign for Paris Saint Germain in 2016. Funnily enough Sunderland were also interested in him at the time, but ended up signing Donald Love instead…

As would be expected when playing for Les Parisians, his time at the club was littered with silverware, winning Ligue 1 three years off the trot between 2017-20 as well as the Coupe De France twice and the Coupe De la Ligue thrice. He played a role in their run to the Champions League final in the 2019/20 season however would miss the final as COVID delayed it till August and the full back had already completed a move to Borussia Dortmund after his contract ran out in June.

He never really got going at Dortmund though, playing less than 25 league games in every season before moving to Turkey with Trabzonspor in 2023. He played just 19 times, scoring once, before returning to French football with Lille, where he would line up alongside former Mackem Vito Mannone.

After helping them to 5th and 3rd place finishes respectively in the 24/25 and 25/26 seasons, as well as campaigns in the Champions League and Europa League, he left the club as a free agent at the end of last season which has seen Sunderland pounce on the chance to bring him in on a free.

This feels very much like the club’s alternative to Geertruida, with the £17 million buy option maybe seen as better spent elsewhere. Meunier is very much just a right back though, with a hand full of appearances as a wide midfielder. He doesn’t offer the versatility Lutsharel offered but maybe this would allow Mukiele to play centre back with Hume continuing as the right back option.

At 34 he is certainly in the latter stages of his playing career and feels a similar signing to that of Reinildo, bringing experience and European pedigree to the side. His name is not new to Sunderland fans, not just because of the links in 2016, but his rather bizarre tweet in 2019 asking if anybody had a stream for the Checkatrade Trophy final against Portsmouth. So, it's nice to see SAFC rewarding somebody who has been following us since the League One days. I would be pretty amazed if this does not play some part in his eventual announcement.

This signing certainly feels like a free hit for the club having paid nothing for him there is no risk and given the names of the clubs he played for, it is a no brainer. Hopefully this is where things begin to pick up on the transfer front this summer.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

LATEST ON WEARSIDE
BY BEN THIRKELL

The World Cup is almost over and Sunderland’s pre-season schedule is about to kick off, so let’s have a bit of a roundup of the latest new you may have missed while catching up on sleep lost because of England’s early morning victory at the Azteca.

SASSUOLO DEFENDER LINKED
In what has been a quiet start to the summer window, it was reported yesterday by Italian journalist Luca Cilli that Sunderland and Bournemouth could be in for left footed centre-back Tarik Muharemovic from Sassuolo.

He seemed to be on his way to Juventus however that deal has stalled and it is believed a Premier League move could be on the cards. With us and the Cherries both in the Europa League, adding depth will be vital to manage the workload of the squads. No bid has been made by either but it seems as if that could be the next port of call if reports are to be believed.

GERAGUSIAN PENS PRO DEAL

This morning it was announced Finn Geragusian signed his first professional contract at the club. There was reportedly a lot of interest in the 18-year-old, who made his international debut for Armenia against Belarus in March, but he has committed his future at the Academy of Light and may end up in and around the senior set up this year with so many games to be played.

ADINGRA EXIT?
Reports in France are suggesting Simon Adingra could be on his way out this summer. Monaco are supposedly pushing for a new loan while Roma, RB Leipzig, Ipswich Town and Hull City are looking at a permanent deal for the Ivorian.

West Ham are also keen but I would imagine their relegation to the Championship might knock them down the pecking order with this one.

Adingra scored just once in 14 league appearances for the Black Cats last season.

MATT CRADDOCK PROMOTED
Matt Craddock will take on the role of Head Professional Development Phase Coach, essentially replacing Graeme Murty, who departed the club in June having led the U21s since October 2022.

Craddock worked alongside Murty as part of his PDP coaching staff last season and is another in-house promotion at the academy following John Hewitson appointment as the Head of Academy.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

PRE-SEASON PREVIEW
BY BEN THIRKELL

With the players back in training tomorrow (yes it really has flown by), preparation begins for our first European campaign in 53 years. In this article I will be looking at who we will be facing in our pre-season fixtures.

Game 1- York City (A) Saturday 18th July
Last Season: 1st National League
Manager: Stuart Maynard
Last Meeting: York City 1-1 Sunderland (D.Neil 28’) 21/07/2021 (Pre-Season)

Sunderland travel to York for their first set of pre-season fixtures, which has seen the double header with South Shields and Gateshead shelved. York are making their return to the Football League for the first time since the 2015/16 season following a dramatic final day victory against second placed Rochdale. The first game is always mainly about getting the cobwebs off and should be a nice way to ease back into things with many still on holiday due to the World Cup. We will likely see a different eleven in each half and a lot of youth players getting opportunities.

Game 2- Liverpool (N) Saturday 25th July
Last Season: 5th Premier League
Manager: Andoni Iraola
Last Meeting: Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool 11/02/2026 (Premier League)

A week later it’s Liverpool in Nashville for the first game of our American tour. Under new manager Iraola it could be an interesting summer for the Kopites, with former Newcastle man Alexander Isak looking to build up fitness to have a much better campaign than his first at Anfield. I would imagine this is where the bulk of our squad will return from the World Cup and preparations can fully get underway.

Game 3- Leeds United (N) Friday 31st July
Last Season: 14th Premier League
Manager: Daniel Farke
Last Meeting: Leeds Utd 0-1 Sunderland (Diarra 70’) 03/03/2026 (Premier League)

Leeds are the last Premier League opposition we will face as part of our pre-season schedule, taking place in the Sports Illustrated Stadium which is the home of the New York Red Bulls. After a good first season back in the Premier League, Daniel Farke will be keen tomake sure his side continue to become a stable top division side. Sunderland have lost just one of their last six meetings against Leeds and will be another good test for the Lads.

Game 4- Wrexham (N) Sunday 2nd August
Last Season: 7th Championship
Manager: Phil Parkinson
Last Meeting: Wrexham 0-1 Sunderland (Brown 4’) 07/04/1980 (Division Two)

Probably the most rogue of our friendlies as we take on a Phil Parkinson side in
Pennsylvania. Wrexham just missed out on the Play-offs last season and I am sure will be right up there come the end of the upcoming campaign. It could be a game where some of the Lads on the fringes get an opportunity to stake their claim before they return back to the North East.

Game 5- RC Lens (A) Saturday 8th August
Last Season: 2nd Ligue 1
Manager: Dino Topmoller
Last Meeting: FIRST MEETING

Probably our toughest test of pre-season is a trip to Lens. They led Ligue 1 for a good portion of the season before PSG’s quality knocked them off pole. I would imagine this will be where Regis is looking to get his best team out and try and finish pre-season as positively as possible. It is one of two games against them that day where I expect the fringe players will be involved in the behind closed doors game.

Game 6- Stade Rennes (H) Saturday 15th August
Last Season: 6th Ligue 1
Manager: Franck Haise
Last Meeting: FIRST MEETING

Our final pre-season game will be a game dominated by the return of Eliezer Mayenda, who will get a proper send off after leaving for the French side at the weekend. Hopefully a good crowd will be in for what will also be our last game before the start of the season. With that in mind I would expect we will be near enough full strength with hopefully a few new signings to get a look at for the first time.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

OI BIG MAN
BY BEN THIRKELL

Yesterday brought the end of Eliezer Mayenda’s three-year stay on Wearside. It is rather incredible how football can make you genuinely gutted about a man you have never met, but thousands of Mackems will have that feeling currently.

If anybody had told me in 2024, while he was struggling to get a game for Hibs that he would play a crucial part in our promotion the following year, I would not have believed you, and I don’t think many others in the fanbase would have either. There is something quite ironic that with Hemir, Nazariy Rusyn and Mason Burstow as competition, it was Mayenda that we shipped out on loan that season given how the careers of the other three have gone in comparison.

Questions were asked when he was given the task of leading the line at the start of last season, but he answered them fairly quickly with that brace against Sheffield Wednesday. In came Wilson Isidor and Mayenda waited patiently in the wings for an opportunity as the Haiti international made it difficult for game time.

The Sheffield United game on New Years Day springs to mind as a moment where it seemed to properly click for the Spaniard, a goal and an assist as part of a front two with Isidor. A partnership that would be key in some big games that season. It didn’t work every week though and Le Bris returned to one up top which meant despite an assist in the following game against Pompey, he dropped back to the bench. He was recalled for the game against Derby where he scored but was again dropped the following week. Eliezer remained patient, didn’t kick up a fuss, and got on with it.

Until out of the blue, after a month out of the starting lineup, he was recalled to the side at Hillsborough. He continued his vendetta against the city of Sheffield by bagging a brace and scored in the following game at home to Cardiff. As the season fizzled out heading towards the play-offs, he still played with a point to prove, including a ridiculous solo goal away at Bristol City. He finished the campaign with eight goals and five assists at the age of 19, a solid return considering it was his first full season of regular first team football.

He was not done there though, his goal against Coventry sometimes gets forgotten about due to a certain centre-backs goal in the second leg, but his composure to round the keeper, given the criticism he had been given at times over the season for his decision making in one-on-ones was great and got us our first win at Coventry since 1985.

Then comes Wembley, Le Bris opts with the Big Man over Isidor, after a quiet first half and finding ourselves behind, many were ready for us to try something different. Changes were made but Mayenda stayed on, a decision that got us promoted back to the Premier League. Watson’s goal understandably gets all the glory but Mayenda’s goal was the moment we all started to believe the game had turned on its head. The touch, the finish, the noise, if only you could relive it for the first time all over again. The video the club posted on socials with Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ playing is one of the many videos the media team have produced in the last year that you can’t help but watch over and over.

Last season he didn’t get loads of opportunities, but he will forever be the man that scored our first goal back in the big time and he still showed glimpses of the quality he has to offer.

Before the final game of the season, Mayenda sent the kit man into the ALS shop to get a pair of FTM Sunglasses. to wear after the game. His connection with the fans has been great, from his chant to the ole’s with the sunglasses which pretty much became a tradition after a big win.

The statement he put out on Saturday night nailed that home and the quote “I arrived here as Eliezer. I leave as your Big Man” is top notch.

It is very rare at Sunderland a player leaves on such good terms with no bitterness either way. Mayenda has produced and been a part of some of the most memorable moments in our modern history and will always be fondly remembered. The game against Rennes in pre-season will give him a fitting send off with his chant I’m sure getting one last rendition.

To the big man, thank you.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

OTD: DIARRA SIGNS
BY BEN THIRKELL

On this day last year, Sunderland completed the club-record signing of Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg.

Diarra signed his first professional contract in August 2021 for Les Bleu et Blanc and made his senior debut just a couple of months later, coming on as a late sub in a 5-1 win against Saint-Etienne at the age of 17.

At the age of just 20 he was given the captains armband and accumulated over 100 appearances and helped the club qualify for the Europa Conference League with a 7th place finish in the 2024/25 season.

Diarra had also impressed on the international stage with Senegal. Having originally debuted for France Under-21 in 2023, he chose to represent the African nation. One of his standout performances for his country actually came against England, scoring in a 3-1 victory over the Three Lions at the City Ground last summer.

This caught the eye of Sunderland who, having just broken their previous transfer record on Enzo Le Fee for a reported £19 million, bid £30 million for the midfielder. The days of Didier Ndong feeling a distant memory with Strasbourg accepting the offer and it got things rolling as the start of a busy July of incomings.

Habib had a rather frustrating first season at the Stadium of Light. After a promising start he picked up an injury that would rule him out of action till December. He would then after one appearance back, head of to the African Cup of Nations where Senegal would lift the trophy beating Morocco. However, that title has for the time being at least, been stripped due to the chaos that went on during the final.

Diarra would return to England with some bright performances including a goal in a 3-0 win over Burnley. That form did decline with many raising questions on the amount spent on the 22-year-old. A costly miss away at Aston Villa did not help his case as Diarra found himself amongst the subs during the run in.

It must be said though a positive cameo away at Everton ended up being crucial for the club’s European qualification. He is still young and a stop start season has probably not helped him settle. Fingers crossed next season we will see the best version of Habib Diarra.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

OTD: BALLARD SIGNS
BY BEN THIRKELL

On this day in 2022, Sunderland completed the signing of Dan Ballard from Arsenal.

Ballard came through at Hale End, joining the Gunners at the age of eight.

Although never playing a senior game for the club, he would have three loan spells that helped develop him into the player we have today.

His first loan spell was the least successful of them all, where he featured just three times at Swindon where a serious knee injury cut the loan short. He then joined League One side Blackpool for the 2020/21 season where he helped the Tangerines to promotion via the Play-offs beating Lincoln City who knocked Lee Johnson’s Sunderland out in the semi-finals.

His third and final loan would be at Millwall in the Championship the following season. He was a popular figure at the Den, playing 31 times and scoring once. He would return to North London but was expected to leave with interest from Burnley and newly promoted Sunderland.

He was incredibly close to a move to Turf Moor, passing a medical and having terms agreed but the move fell through last minute. Kristian Speakman swooped in and brought the Northern Irish centre-half to Wearside. He signed an initial three-year-deal for an undisclosed fee becoming our first signing back in the second tier.

Despite making just 19 league appearances in the 21/22 season, his ability was there for everybody to see but unfortunately injuries massively hampered his first season in the North-East.

In his second season, he was ever present but sadly one that many like to forget about, with Sunderland finishing 16th. Ballard scored three times including his first goal in a Sunderland shirt coming at Loftus Road in a 3-1 win against QPR.

He signed a new deal in the summer of 2024, extending his stay till 2028. Regis Le Bris arrived as our new Head Coach and after starting the season with injury problems, he found himself stuck behind Luke O’Nien and Chris Mepham in the pecking order. He started just 12 times and only played once from March onwards.

That was until he was recalled back into the side out of the blue replacing Mepham to play alongside O’Nien for the play-offs. That decision although deemed harsh on Mepham at the time, was one that ultimately got us promoted. Not only did he score that 120th minute winner in the second leg that will forever be immortalised in our history, but he produced three absolutely colossal performances at the back to end eight painful years outside of the Premier League.

As Speakman and Ghisolfi completely revamped the squad, Ballard was one of few that kept his place in the starting XI. Playing 29 times, including a goal on the opening day and a superb finish at home to former club to Arsenal, he certainly made it clear he is more than capable at the top level.

With European football on the cards next season, I’m sure Ballard is going to be a key part of next season, as he continues to prove why he has been one of our best signings in recent years.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

LOYALTY
BY BEN THIRKELL

Saturday brought the rather surprising news that Granit Xhaka’s time at Sunderland could be coming to a close just one year into his three-year contract. After all that he has said in the last 12 months, he may already be done on Wearside, which raises a question, is there any loyalty left in football?

As the full-time whistle blew on May 24th, the players stood huddled together checking to see if they had done the unthinkable. A newly promoted side had done their bit, but now they await the results around them to find out if they had gotten Sunderland into the Europa League. European football back on Wearside for the first time since ‘74. The celebrations as the players found out the news was incredible to see. How much these lads cared. Granit Xhaka right in the middle of it. His speech at full time gave everyone goosebumps as he told us “This is just the beginning”.

While out in America with Switzerland for the World Cup he was asked about his future and he made it clear he was settled at Sunderland. Yet here we are, just over a month on from that Chelsea game he has seemingly already agreed personal terms to go to that very club.

I feel that it needs to be made clear that outgoings are expected this summer. The likes of Brian Brobbey, Noah Sadiki and Robin Roefs are going to be highly sought after and with all of these players on long contracts, we hold the power and would be able to get big fees. Both parties benefit and we thank them for their service.

However, with Xhaka it just feels different. The man that all season has held such high standards, has spoken about how happy he is here, how Sunderland reminds him of back home, yet at the first opportunity he wants out? I do not think anybody can blame us fans for feeling that leaves a rather bitter and sour taste. I think this brings a key reminder, in an age in football where its all about PR and media training, these players are saying what they want you to hear. When they post on their socials after the game, that’s not them, it is somebody they are paying to do it for them. It is a harsh reminder that sadly, a lot of these players just do not care about us supporters.

If you are a Premier League club and not in the ‘Big 6’, where by the way two of those teams are not actually competing in Europe next year (one of those Chelsea), it is now a rarity a player stays for as long as someone like Luke O’Nien. We are simply expected to be almost feeder clubs for the elite and there is sadly nothing you can do about it and you have just got to reap the rewards of the massive fees they will pay and constantly rebuild. This has been our model and I would imagine we will cope a lot better than others might.

Another sad reality is Geography. If you come to England as a foreign player, would you rather play up in the North East for Newcastle or Sunderland, or potentially live the lifestyle in London playing for Brentford or Fulham for example? If you asked me, I would want to play for a big club in front of big crowds, but in modern day football it’s more about the lifestyle rather than anything else. Is it any wonder there is such a lack of northern sides in the Premier League?

In this case, of course, going to Chelsea on paper from Sunderland would make sense. Saying that, at the age of 34 you would be choosing to miss out on European football to be a part of a transition season at Stamford Bridge. This is a club that, as soon as they return to the Champions League, are going to replace you with a £60m+ player and at the age of 35, let’s be honest they will chuck you to the side like a child would with a toy they are bored of playing with.

It’s been frustrating news to hear and although nothing is agreed - with a rather pathetic bid of £8m the only offer to come in so far - you get a sense the player really wants the move. Unfortunately, when a player wants a move, majority of the time they get what they want in the end. The recent update from Florian Plettenberg, which states Xhaka “has great respect for Sunderland” feels like nothing but damage limitation to his reputation up here. Think the fact he has seemingly been in talks with another club behind our back says otherwise.

Overall, the answer to the question, there is no loyalty in football, Xhaka may not be the only one to leave this summer but I feel the circumstances around the project we thought he was here to build make this one a particularly hard pill to swallow. One thing I would say is that the club deserve our absolute backing to replace him properly and in truth the only person to be annoyed at is the man himself.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

MACKEMS IN THE KNOCKOUTS
BY BEN THIRKELL

With the last round of group games already underway, which Sunderland players are already through to the round of 32 and who are going to have to turn up in these final games to keep their nations dreams alive?

THROUGH:
GRANIT XHAKA- SWITZERLAND
The skipper saw his nation beat Canada 2-1 on Wednesday which secured top of Group B and into the Round of 32. He scored a penalty in their second game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

CHEMSDINE TALBI- MOROCCO
Talbi has not started any games yet and was an unused sub last night as Morocco beat Wilson Isidor’s Haiti. Our number seven will be hoping to make more of an impact in the knockouts.

BRIAN BROBBEY/ROBIN ROEFS/LUTSHAREL GEERTRUIDA- NETHERLANDS
After a fantastic brace in their hammering of Sweden, Brobbey has probably left the biggest mark by a Sunderland player in this World Cup, followed by Isidor’s worldie yesterday. His Dutch side are not officially through but with +4 goal difference on four points and bottom of the group Tunisia to play it would take something incredible for them not to do so. Sunderland teammates Roefs and Geertruida are still yet to play.

COULD QUALIFY:
OMAR ALDERETE- PARAGUAY
After an absolute disaster of a performance in the first game against the USA, Alderete came away with a clean sheet in the second game against Türkiye in a 1-0 victory for Paraguay. If they beat Australia, it would put them through to the knockouts with a draw probably also enough to go through as one of the better third place teams. A defeat will most likely end Omar’s World Cup.

SIMON ADINGRA- IVORY COAST
Ivory Coast sit in a comfortable position going into their last game sitting second with three points thanks to a 1-0 win against Nilson Angulo’s Ecuador. The goalscorer in that one was former Sunderland loanee Amad Diallo. They did lose to Germany in the last game but a draw against bottom of the group Curacao would most likely be enough to send them through whether that be in second or even third.

NILSON ANGULO- ECUADOR
In the other game in Group E, Angulo’s Ecuador need to do the unthinkable and beat Germany to stand any chance of progressing to the knockouts.

HABIB DIARRA- SENEGAL
Diarra is another that has not really left his mark on the tournament so far, being on the bench in both games. Senegal need to beat Iraq rather comfortably and just hope for the best regarding the other third place teams.

NOAH SADIKI/ARTHUR MASUAKU- DR CONGO
Sadiki has surprisingly been a bit part player for Congo while Arthur Masuaku got an assist in the opening game, with his cross headed home by Newcastle’s Yoane Wissa. That’s not the first time a Sunderland full back has put it on a plate for one of their strikers in recent times. A win against Uzbekistan would most likely send them through to the knockouts.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

BORN OTD: CLIVE WALKER
BY BEN THIRKELL

Born on this day in 1957 is former winger Clive Walker. He played on Wearside between 1984 and 1985 after signing from Chelsea for £70k.

Before his move up North he had a great career at Stamford Bridge, making 224 appearances and scoring 60 times for the Blues between 1975 and 1984. He gained a reputation for his brilliant deliveries into the box and delivered some iconic moments for Chelsea including a last-minute volley to beat Bolton 1-0 in a relegation play-off in 83.

Walker is most commonly remembered for being the first person to miss a penalty in a Wembley final when his spot kick crashed against the post in the 1985 League Cup Final against Norwich City. We went on to lose the game 1-0.

Despite this he still had a rather positive effect at Roker Park, scoring 10 goals in 50 appearances. Three of those came in a fantastic performance in front of the Roker crowd with a hat-trick, which did include two penalties, in a 3-2 win against Manchester United coming from two goals down. His directness on the right wing made him a real key player at the time however he could not save the club from finishing 21st and being relegated from the First Division.

Walker would move to Queens Park Rangers for £75k in December 1985. Clive struggled to nail down a place at Loftus Road though, only managing 22 games in all competitions across 18 months.

Then followed spells at Fulham, Brighton and Non- League sides Woking and Cheltenham Town playing until the age of 40.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

ISIDOR MAKES MARK
BY BEN THIRKELL

Going into the World Cup with so many players, it was only natural to expect one of the Lads to leave their mark on the tournament. Yes, Granit Xhaka has scored already but Wilson Isidor’s thunder strike last night for Haiti felt like the first real moment from a Mackem at the World Cup.

It has been a frustrating season for the striker, starting the season looking like he was going to be our main man up top, bagging four in the first nine games. However, the arrival of Brian Brobbey was never with the intention of having him as a back-up and once the goals dried up for Isidor, the Dutchman capitalised. Isidor in fact has not started in the league since a 3-0 defeat to Man City at the Etihad in December. Even when Brobbey suffered an injury in February, Eliezer Mayenda jumped up the pecking order playing ahead of him.

Isidor certainly had a hard time adapting to the way we played at times, with hold up play far from his strong point and it was very rare that his runs in behind were utilised. Many had already made there mind up that this season would almost certainly be his last at the club, but then came Villa away. He grabbed the equaliser in our rapid turnaround which in very typical Sunderland fashion meant nothing after conceding a late winner anyway. However, it showed that Isidor still had something to offer at this level and it saw a run of promising substitute appearances.

Scoring an important goal away at Everton as well as a good bit of trickery causing Wesley Fofana to be sent off on the final day in the game that helped us secure Europa League football.

It was clear Wilson felt he had a point to prove, and he has done so in the biggest tournament in football with Haiti last night. Sunderland fans already know Isidor is not one for tap ins with a rather brilliant catalogue of goals in Red and White already, but in a game that meant very little yesterday, Isidor showed the world what he is capable of. Rifling one in from the edge of the area as if he had a foot like a traction engine putting it about as top corner as you can get. While everybody was watching the Brazilians dint the Tarton Army’s chances of progression, Wilson made those Mackems who chose to tune in to watch him and possibly Talbi, very happy with their decision.

With Haiti now out, Isidor can enjoy his summer but the question is where will he be come the end of it? With what is undoubtably going to be a busy season on Wearside, with a lot of games to manage, surely we would be silly to let him go?

The way we played in the run-in suited Isidor much more than the largely hold up play reliant stuff that was asked of him earlier in the campaign and it is likely this is the way we want to play going forward.

Brobbey is always going to be first choice should he remain in the North East come the closure of the window in September. I do believe though that you need different types of strikers for different games and with a European campaign coming up I genuinely do believe Isidor could still play a massive part for us.

Yes, he can be frustrating but he can also produce moments like he did yesterday and for me those sorts of players are not easy to find. On the other hand, Wilson might not want to play second fiddle.

As a big fan of the Haiti international, I would love nothing more than to see him continue at the Stadium of Light and I do believe having Brobbey and Isidor is already two solid options going into next season. With Mayenda already likely on his way out it makes Wilson’s future slightly more promising but it all depends what the club have planned.

In a World Cup that has seen the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland flourish, it was certainly nice to see one of our Lads making the headlines and who knows, possibly winning himself the goal of the tournament, we will see.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

FIXTURE RELEASE DAY
BY BEN THIRKELL

With the World Cup well underway, you’d have been forgiven for not realising today was the day the fixtures got released for next season. The Foundation of Light hosted a breakfast event which we were kindly invited to and this from Ghisolfi being on top form to the reaction to the fixtures being announced this is how it went.

It was an early start with doors open from half 8, with the blow of such an early start softened by a free bacon or sausage sandwich. Jeff Brown hosted proceedings and alongside Director of Football Florentino Ghisolfi, Foundation of Light’s Chief Operating Officer Jamie Wright and former captain and club legend Kevin Ball.

Ghisolfi did apologise beforehand to the audience that his accent and English may make it hard to understand him. His English was perfect until asked about new signings where his reply was “my English is very bad” which had the whole room laughing.

Many topics were discussed with a lot of talk about last season’s success. Kevin Ball was full of praise for the work done in the last couple of years at the club and believes we are currently in a time where if things were to continue as it’s going, “the club could stay amongst the higher echelon of English Football”.

Our European qualification for the first time since 1973 was of course discussed heavily. Jeff Brown spoke of memories from that European campaign including asking if anybody went to the away trips as part of that run. Unsurprisingly nobody put their hand up for that one.

Ghisolfi spoke about how an older fan told him he wasn’t keen on Europe due to the distractions it would cause for the Premier League last season. Something I’ve heard a few times and never really understood and his answer to it was brilliant.

He simply said “just enjoy” and that’s it. Could our league form take a hit, maybe yes, but we’ve had seasons ruined by going too far in the EFL Trophy, if a good run in Europe means we finish a bit lower so be it. It’s all about making memories and finishing mid table every year isn’t exactly going to provide many.

He did say though that the club and fans will “have to be ready, it will be a challenge, but enjoy the moment”. One thing that we can hopefully all agree on is the man has the full trust of the supporters to have a squad prepared for what is going to be a busy season.

Although he didn’t necessarily go into any sort of details regarding signings, Ghisolfi did talk about mentality when it comes to bringing players in. He admitted the club have turned down the chance to sign players due to that. “It’s the first pillar. I think it’s important to be a fit with the Sunderland way”. Gone are the days of the chancers stealing a wage, the scenes after the Chelsea game made that clear. This is a group of players that have fallen in love with the club and quite simply get it.

Then came 10am where the fixtures were revealed to everyone on the big screen. After getting over the excitement of playing Premier League sides again last year I must say it was rather anti climactic when it was revealed that we would play Ipswich and Fulham as our first two games. Infact the awkward silence as it popped up was rather humorous.

Then came the Derby dates with many audibly disappointed that we have to wait till May for the home game which to be fair could add even more drama to an already huge fixture.

That was about it and it was very interesting to hear more from Ghisolfi who seems to be more in the forefront this summer having fully taken over from Kristian Speakman, who has been linked with Copenhagen in the last few days.

It is going to be an intriguing summer which I imagine will pick up some pace following the conclusion of the World Cup. A few things to come away with, we play everyone twice, my Bacon Sandwich was nice and Ghisolfi seems a bit of a character. Now start the random rumours.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

MACKEMS AT THE WORLD CUP
BY BEN THIRKELL

With just three days to go until the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Sunderland has 11 players out in North America. In this piece, I will be looking back at the last three World Cups and which active Sunderland players were involved.

QATAR 2022
Jewison Bennette (Costa Rica)
I remember being incredibly excited to see Jewi on the world stage after a relatively promising start to his Sunderland career. He was seen as the next big thing for Costa Rica and many Sunderland fans were keen to see how he would get on in what was a difficult group consisting of Spain, Germany and Japan. At just 18, he started their first game against La Roja,  which ended in a 7-0 thumping before substitute appearances in their final two group games. In these, Costa Rica were knocked out in fourth, despite beating the Japanese 1-0 and then leading the Germans, 2-1, with 20 minutes remaining, alas they’d go on to lose 4-2. Sadly Bennette’s lack of game time on Wearside and a poor loan spell in Greece saw him not feature for his country for three years however, consistent game time for Ukrainian outfit LNZ Cherkasy saw him recalled to the squad during the March international break, although he hasn’t made the most recent one in which his country will face England. 

Bailey Wright (Australia)
Wright was one of the key members of the 2021/22 promotion-winning side and the experienced centre half was called up by Australia to head to Qatar. He played just one of the four games the Aussies had before their exit to the eventual world champions Argentina. That appearance came in the final group game against Denmark as a late sub, a game they won 1-0. Wright now plays his football in Singapore for Lion City Sailors.

RUSSIA 2018
Wahbi Khazri (Tunisia)
The 2017/18 season is one of, if not the, darkest one in our history so it's rather remarkable any of our players made it to Russia for the World Cup. It is no surprise that one of the two that did go spent the season out on loan in the top division of France. He spent the season at Rennes but featured three times in the Championship in the early stages of the campaign. Tunisia were actually in England’s group that tournament, with Khazri scoring twice (against Belgium and Panama) and starting all three games. Unfortunately for him though, it was not enough as Tunisia were knocked out finishing third in the group.

Bryan Oviedo (Costa Rica)
Another Costa Rican and this time it was left back Bryan Oviedo as the Sunderland representative. Oviedo is a strange one as he was one of the few players that did not refuse to play for the club when dropping into the third tier and was always professional even though he could easily have played at a higher level. At the same time, many would agree more was expected from him considering he was brought in to play Premier League football during our relegation under David Moyes. He started two of Costa Rica’s three group games including playing against current captain Granit Xhaka in a 2-2 draw, which would be the Central American nation's only point of the tournament. They finished fourth in a group that also contained  Brazil and Serbia.

BRAZIL 2014
Ki Sung-yueng (South Korea)
Despite the endless number of Italians we had at the club during the 2013/14 season, not one of them were involved in the World Cup that summer but South Korean loanee Ki Sung-yueng was. He spent the campaign on loan from Swansea and was relatively solid for us, scoring three in 27 Premier League games (plus one in the League Cup). He started all three group games but he couldn’t stop them from finishing bottom of a group consisting of Belgium, Algeria and Russia.

Jozy Altidore (USA)
Altidore was never great in a Sunderland shirt, and maybe that is kind given some of the performances he put in during his time here, but you could never doubt the lad’s effort. He is a player that many fans will always remember, even if it is for his lay off to Fabio Borini in the home derby win of that year, or winning the penalty at Stamford Bridge that ended Jose Mourinho’s 77 game home unbeaten streak as Chelsea boss. He went to Brazil hoping to lead the line for the US but sadly he picked up a hamstring injury in the first game against Ghana which ended his tournament prematurely, with his country going out in the round of 16.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

ISIDOR BACK IN THE GOALS
✍️ @ThirkellBen

When Wilson Isidor put Sunderland level at Stamford Bridge back in October to net his fourth goal of the season, many would have thought that the now Haiti international was going to be our talisman for the campaign, with Brian Brobbey yet to really show anything in Red and White at the time (well, until the latter stages of that very game anyway). Fast forward to April and Isidor has scored his first goal since that game against Chelsea, equalising against Villa which in the end meant very little but for him I am sure it was a much-needed confidence boost and a bit of a statement to supporters and the manager that he still has something to offer at this level.

I have said all season that it is hard to really go in on any of the strikers, with a standout issue for us as the season has progressed being a lack of creativity from wide areas and even in midfield at times. Brobbey has been the go-to man more so due to his ability away from the penalty area, with attributes such as his hold-up and link-up play being something that has given him the upper hand with selection compared to Isidor and Mayenda. It is worth adding that despite starting six more games than Isidor, Brobbey has only one more goal than the Haiti international.

The ball Enzo Le Fee played for Isidor yesterday has been something we have completely lacked at times this season. Utilising pace in our front line and playing a bit more direct without it just being an aimless hoof up top. Le Fee has played a lot of games out wide this season and I do wonder that maybe we should look to get him back centrally to try and play like this more often. I have found recently Diarra does not seem to do this sort of thing, maybe it is tactical, I do not know, but we can sometimes be a bit safe with the passes in midfield.

Isidor has always been a player that likes to run in behind and when playing this season those runs have largely been ignored, but yesterday showed just what can happen when playing to his strengths.

His future is up in the air with many expecting him to be on his way in the summer. However, should he have a good end of the season, whether that be as an impact sub or even possibly as a strike partner to Brobbey which is something I have seen suggested a lot after yesterday’s game and would definitely be something I would be up for seeing, but how we would do that without hindering our control in the midfield is another thing.

Either way I was absolutely delighted to see Wilson back in the goals. In fact, I was delighted to see that all three goalscorers yesterday were Lads that were part of our promotion winning side. It has been a tough and frustrating season for Isidor, but with his eyes set on playing in this summer’s World Cup, you would imagine he has that fire in his belly to get himself in form going into it and to prove the doubters wrong and show he is more than capable of playing in the top flight of English football.

[Alan March Sport Ltd @AlanMarchSport]

Today Was The Day #Blackcats 🐈‍⬛

Team AMS is proud to announce that today @SunderlandAFC launched its dedicated #AudioDescription commentary service provided by @AlanMarchSport

The game has changed when it comes to #Access at the Stadium of Light for blind and low vision spectators🙌🏼

ALONG WITH @AccessibAll WE WILL CONTINUE TO STANDARDISE AUDIO DESCRIPTION COMMENTARY

https://t.co/WiPJnXo6Xj

Big thank you to our AD traininer @hope_bradley for guiding @HawleyJonny & @ThirkellBen through the opening game

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

WHAT NOW?
BY BEN THIRKELL

Yesterday Sunderland threw it right back to 2020, losing to struggling League One opposition on a terrible pitch and playing football that makes you question your love for the sport. In what has been a very positive season, it felt that the Sunderland of old crept into play at Vale Park. With the dream of Wembley now over and safety almost certain, how do we even approach the remaining games without it feeling like the season is fizzling out?

The first port of call is of course the derby. In our first visit to St James’ Park for ten years, both teams are in absolutely rotten form and it looks set to be a tough watch for the neutral. Brighton on Saturday quite simply needs to be a win, get some momentum going into it and a bit of positivity back into the fanbase. Newcastle have three games in the next 14 days and with fans already turning on Eddie Howe it’s a good time to play them. Only issue with that is that the Geordies will be saying the exact same about us.

After the derby though, what happens? That leaves seven games with potentially no importance on them at all. Of course, should we win our next two you could argue we’ll firmly be in contention for a Conference League spot but let’s be honest - can anybody even see us scoring from open play at the minute, never mind stringing a run together?

One thing I absolutely want to see in the next nine games is a complete change in style. I do not think I can sit through another game of this horrifically slow and pragmatic football. We are safe now, there is no reason for it to continue. We have been hard to watch for a while now but if it’s getting results you can ignore it. Now and especially yesterday it’s just become unwatchable.

This has become an overall issue in football to be honest, with a lot of games being pretty tough watches compared to what it was like maybe five-six years ago. We seem absolutely void of any attacking ideas and I do partially put that down to the manager as well as the individuals playing. There does not seem to be any pattern of play and it genuinely just feels like we go wide and the wingers either cut in and shoot or attempt to put a cross in. It is so predictable.

People complain about our strikers far too often in my opinion while the wingers and so-called creative players get away with it every single week. We have scored four goals in our last five games, three were penalties and the other was Mayenda pouncing on a poor parry from the keeper at Bournemouth.

Maybe the reason the strikers look sick of their life is because they are living off absolute scraps. The number of times a midfielder has took an extra fancy flick instead of playing a through ball, or a winger has cut back and passed back to the full back as they are not able to beat their man, has happened far too often and at Premier League level it has to be better.

I personally do believe Regis Le Bris needs to tread carefully in these remaining games as the football is awful to watch and we are not going to progress playing like this. With KLD showing he can be ruthless, Regis needs to start showing he can get us scoring goals and that he is the man to continue our progression.

This is not me discrediting Le Bris by any means as what he has done for this club has been incredible and I think considering the money we have spent you cannot exactly always blame the manager when a £30m footballer cannot complete a simple through ball. However, there are only so many times I can watch our current style of play without it getting frustrated as it feels we have gone far too much on the side of pragmatism to the point where the players seem to have forgotten what to do going forward.

Ultimately the job was safety and I completely agree, we have done exactly what we have set out to do. Now though its time to look ahead to the future and its time for people to prove they are able to progress with the club. Do not let the season fizzle out, let’s try to finish as high as possible trying to play good football. I am not saying Big Ange high line with games ending 5-4, I just want to see us creating more chances and not going to a low block whenever we feel the slightest bit of pressure. Fingers crossed this was a bit of a wake-up call to the group and we can end what has been a fantastic season on a high.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

PAUSE FOR THOUGHT: FULHAM
✍️ @ThirkellBen

Yesterday’s result was a complete disaster. In a game where most of us hoped would see us return to winning ways, we suffered a third league defeat in a row and, in what seems to be a theme when we lose, it was comfortable. With lots of chatter and fallout from the result I wanted to rattle through a couple of things from the game.

SET PIECES
Yet again Sunderland fell behind through a goal from a corner, Raul Jimenez left unmarked for a free header with Fulham crowding Robin Roefs to make it almost impossible for him to come and claim the ball. When this was such a strong point for us earlier on in the season, you do wonder why it is suddenly an issue with such basic mistakes like leaving their striker free.

It is not just an issue with defending set pieces though, as we have been utterly useless at attacking ones as well. I genuinely cannot believe how many times the first man was not beaten from corners yesterday. It has been an issue at Sunderland for far too long. Ballard’s header against Coventry was not just special because of the context of the game, but also because most probably could not believe we actually picked out a red and white shirt from it! This is something we need to be better at, especially considering we are playing in a Premier League season where set pieces and long throws are becoming an important factor as to how teams are getting goals.

STYLE OF PLAY
In all honesty this does not even feel like a Sunderland thing, but more a football thing, but the football being played currently is an absolute chore to watch. No creativity, no spark, just sideways passing and long throws into the box. The first half was one of the worst I have sat through in a Premier League fixture in my life. Both teams were absolutely terrible and was like watching your local pub team at times - it was that scrappy.

Unfortunately, our style of play is one of those that when you win you can ignore as it’s ultimately effective, but when you lose it’s just not good to watch at all. Our wingers do not create anything, our midfield just pass sideways or backwards, it is painful at times. If Xhaka is not on the pitch, you just cannot see us creating much at all. People have the nerve to moan about the strikers, when was the last time Brobbey had a shot? When was the last time Mayenda or Isidor actually got one of their runs noticed and played in behind? All season we have relied on the odd moment of quality and solid defending to win games, and I do worry our luck has run out with that one.

Le Bris has done a superb job but with Florent Ghisolfi now the main man and KLD so keen for constant progression, you do worry that if we suffer the same drop-off as last season, they may be tempted to look elsewhere. Let’s not forget if it was not for fan reaction, we would have had current Porto manager Francesco Farioli taking over from Tony Mowbray despite him earning a newly promoted side a play-off place. I saw a stat yesterday that RLB has only won 17 of 54 games from February onwards in his managerial career, which is a bit of a worry that it is such a consistent problem.

INJURIES
The phrase ‘dropping like flies’ has never been truer after potentially losing a staggering four players in yesterday’s defeat (five if you include Dennis Cirkin). Nordi Mukiele, Jocelin Ta Bi and Brian Brobbey all limped off, with Romaine Mundle also seemingly picking up an injury in the game.

It has been a problem with us for years now with constant injuries to the point where it is pointless asking why this keeps happening. The injuries could provide opportunities to the likes of Lutsharel Geertruida, Wilson Isidor, Eliezer Mayenda and even Chemsdine Talbi who seems to have fallen down the pecking order all of a sudden. It does however potentially leave us pretty stretched once again after only just getting a few players back fit.

RACIST ABUSE
It really did top of what was already a terrible day when the club released a statement regarding the alleged racist abuse of Romaine Mundle. It is just mental that this is still an issue in 2026 and the worst part is it is not even the only incident from yesterday, with Wolves forward Tolu Arokodare also being on the receiving end of it following his missed penalty against Crystal Palace.

It is so sad that people overstep the mark like this and just reflects so poorly on the fanbase. Hopefully those responsible never step foot in a football ground again.

CONCLUSION
Yesterday was bad, but we are still in the cup - do we put all our eggs in the basket of getting to Wembley? We will see, as it does seem like with safety all-but-secured and Europe looking well out of reach, mid table looks likely, which is still a very successful season for our first year back in the big time.

[A LOVE SUPREME @ALS_Fanzine]

DEFENDING THE ATTACKERS
BY BEN THIRKELL

After a relatively comfortable performance, if not maybe lacking the cushion some maybe expected after the team was announced, Sunderland are into the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup. A talking point from yesterday’s fourth round triumph was the performances of both Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, the former in particularly.

Last season both were a pivotal part of promotion, contributing to a combined total of 20 goals across the league as well as three more in the play-offs. This season though they have only managed a combined five, four of which belong to Isidor. Mayenda hasn’t scored since the opening day against West Ham, with Wilson’s last goal coming in October. Yesterday brought a lot of criticism on the pair, with Isidor especially receiving criticism with some mentioning his attitude as well as him not being good enough to play at this level. Mayenda also had a few complaints for not doing a lot after coming on yesterday, despite almost scoring moments after entering the pitch.

I personally disagree on the points about ability and feel it is more a case of the player not fitting the system. Last year both Isidor and Mayenda looked at their best when played in behind, with Isidor especially very good at making runs, our issue being we are not attempting those balls as much this campaign. I still believe we have a bit of an issue creativity-wise but with Jocelin Ta Bi impressing off the bench at Oxford and Nilson Angulo looking tidy against Liverpool, you would hope we see that improve.

At the Kassam yesterday I thought Romaine Mundle looked really sharp, cutting inside and causing the full back all sorts of bother. His end product was a bit iffy which can probably be put down to lacking sharpness. Talbi on the other side was very quiet and it’s pretty evident at this stage that he is much better suited to the left. My issue overall was that there was a distinct lack of service for the strikers. Not a lot of good balls into the box, not a lot of balls played in behind or to feet, it was just wingers cutting inside.

In the Premier League, it seems that the striker in our team is not really about scoring loads of goals anymore. Brian Brobbey is having a great season but the main quality as to why he has become our first choice up top is his hold-up play, strength and ability to link play up deeper on the pitch. I have noticed that our striker probably gets more of the ball on the half way line than around the box. With Brobbey this is fine as he is perfect for this style, Isidor and Mayenda though are quite simply not that type of player.

Isidor especially looks shot to bits, you can see he is getting frustrated at the lack of goals and you would imagine as well the lack of chances created for him. Since arriving it has been very clear that he is a confidence player, going on runs of scoring and also runs of not scoring. He started the season brilliantly, we were creating chances for him, and you could see certain aspects of his game improving. Then Brobbey arrived and ultimately made the shirt his own.

Mayenda is of course younger and can be utilised across the front three, with him playing a lot more out wide in recent times. He again does not seem to suit the type of striker Le Bris wants to play with.

I personally believe it’s almost a thankless task playing up top for us. You likely aren’t going to be given many (if any) chances in a game, but you will be expected to do a lot of the dirty work with long balls from centre backs and battling off defenders to hold the ball up to play out to wingers.

My overall point is that for a team that almost set up for our wingers to be a key outlet for creativity, I feel we are being far too harsh on two players being asked to do a job they maybe are not the fit for. Brobbey has done brilliant and if we are going to continue to play the way we are, the summer is going to need us to bring in another couple of strikers in the mould of the dutchman. I may be slightly biased in the fact I am a big fan of both Isidor and Mayenda, I just feel the physical battle style approach we expect our striker to do simply does not suit them, and that is not their fault necessarily. It would be interesting to see us experiment with two up front, with one of these two playing off Brobbey, but it seems unlikely under RLB.

What I especially do not like is questioning attitude from them. Isidor has been posting on his Instagram stories clips of him putting in extra training and Mayenda has barely kicked a ball this season in comparison to the other two. Both will want to succeed at this level and I feel it’s a case of frustration at things not clicking currently rather than a bad attitude.

Going into Fulham, having lost our last two in the league (albeit against two of the best in the league), everybody will be hoping we can avoid this run being prolonged any longer and a return to winning ways will ease any worries from those looking behind them, with hopefully a more impressive display in the final third from Le Bris’ side. A win is a win and yesterday was great as we take a step closer to a potential trip to Wembley (we can dream), but I think a lot of fans were slightly disappointed that we needed a penalty to score past the side 23rd in the league below us. There were plenty of positives to take though, including another great display from Luke O’Nien in the cup who I think everybody is pleased to see doing well, it is just the final third that seems to be the missing piece to this solid Mackem side.