I watched Brian Brobbey make his first start in a Sunderland shirt last night – here’s what I noticed
I watched Brian Brobbey make his first start in a Sunderland shirt last night – here’s what I noticed.
Sunderland U21s drew 2-2 with RSCA Futures in their first Premier League International Cup match on Wednesday night.
It wasn’t one of the most difficult opportunities Brian Brobbey will have in his career, but the ease with which he took it will boost Sunderland’s belief that their summer signing is gaining traction.
Sunderland’s U21s were trailing RSCA Futures in their first Premier League International Cup match (despite a spectacular penalty save from Anthony Patterson) until the visitors got themselves in trouble with a goal kick, with the home side’s press in a 4-4-2 configuration paying off.
Harrison Jones passed the ball quickly and precisely to Brobbey, who had remained high on Anderlecht’s last line of defence. He had plenty of time and room within the box to choose his place.
That he did, almost dismissively, leaving the custodian frozen in place as he located the far corner.
After the significant impact he made at Stamford Bridge, and with Sunderland’s next match not until Monday night, the Black Cats saw an opportunity to help Brobbey maintain his match fitness in a high-intensity game against a team from the second tier of Belgian senior football.
Brobbey performed admirably, with the obvious caveat that a player of his calibre, particularly in the physical element of the game, should dominate against U21 competition.
Having missed Sunderland’s pre-season campaign and the start of the season after joining from Ajax on deadline day, Régis Le Bris has repeatedly stated that the 23-year-old will require time and patience to adjust.
Not only was he lacking in match fitness and adjusting to a new environment, but he was also transitioning from a style of play in Amsterdam where his team dominated possession and territory week after week.
Sunderland have made a good start to their Premier League season, but their success has been built on a strong defensive foundation.
Speaking after his arrival, Kristjaan Speakman also stated that, while Brobbey was brought in to make an impact this season, he was a player who had been signed for the long term.
So this was an excellent opportunity to see what Brobbey is all about from the outset, and Sunderland had a lot of the ball in a very competitive clash against a great Anderlecht team.
Brobbey held the ball up nicely when Sunderland played early into him, which wasn’t very often given that they spent most of the game in Anderlecht’s half.
One great piece of play was a ball being blasted early into Brobbey, with the Anderlecht defender attempting to get tight and struggle with his opposite number.
Brobbey read the play and simply rolled the ball around the corner, freeing up space for his teammate.
Brobbey is a totally different striker than Wilson Isidor or Eliezer Mayenda, who slid into space and played like a ten in possession throughout the opening hour of the game.
Brobbey presses but not as hard as Isidor, and while he can run in behind (as we saw at Chelsea), it is not his primary tendency.
Brobbey loves to gather the ball and bring others into action, and there were a couple of times when he held off a defender inside the box and set up a teammate for a shot – exactly like he did for Chemsdine Talbi on Saturday.
That will be a valuable resource for Sunderland as they look to obtain more goals from their midfielders and wide players in the coming weeks and months.
The most striking aspect of seeing Brobbey in this game, which we may not have been able to witness so far due to the game conditions in which he has been presented, is his strong poacher instinct.
As he did for his goal, Brobbey spends as much time as possible on the opposition’s last line of defence. When his team has the ball in wide areas, he is continually moving about the box, looking for a cross or a loose ball.
There were a few moments when he was in a fantastic position in the six-yard box; the crosses were eventually blocked, but the intent was there.
It was a strong performance, with another hour of competitive football under his belt and another step forward.
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Why Wilson Isidor is likely to start for Sunderland against Everton.
The fact that Brobbey and Mayenda started this game provided additional indication that Wilson Isidor will continue to lead the line from the start for the time being.
That is entirely earned, as the striker has combined a tireless work ethic with a flair for scoring goals this season. Brobbey performed admirably here, but he is still working to improve and reach his full potential.
Le Bris will be content to gradually introduce him to the Premier League while working on areas of his game on the training ground in the meantime.
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