There’s no denying that Saturday afternoon was probably the worst day of the season for us so far. Frankly, we are garbage.
But we can do bad things every once in a while, right? No team is perfect. We were expected to do well this season, but instead we ended up being the only undefeated home team in the division. That’s why, about five minutes into the game, I was able to shrug and look forward instead of back.
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I won’t panic unless critical failure becomes a habit. Before anyone says that, no, I’m not being dogmatic here – that’s usually just my default position at Sunderland. I take the label of ‘supporter’ very seriously, sometimes to my own detriment, but if I think the club and the decisions they make are made in good faith I will always defend them.
Still, I was a little disappointed to see such a hysterical reaction to the defeat after the game. I’ve also read the more sensible opinions of some fans who don’t understand why people are getting so carried away, but I’m sure anyone who took a cursory glance at social media during and after Saturday’s game will have noticed the perception that Sunderland were seriously underperforming.
It’s not just Sunderland and our fans, it’s an element of fans of all clubs, even beyond football – I think it’s just a fact in the general discussion of 2026. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t point it out if you think something is wrong. For example, I don’t agree or disagree with some of the comments I’ve seen made about our young players because we know there’s a good chance they’re going to read those comments and you can only wonder what that’s going to do to their confidence. So I always urge people to think twice before making a move, especially when it comes to young players who are doing their best for Sunderland.
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Anyway – enough is enough, I’m not going to wag my finger anymore and tell people what to do. At least that’s the case for now.
Reggie made a mistake at the London Stadium, we can rarely say that but it’s fair to point out that he made a mistake. However, as I said in my post-match reaction podcast, I wasn’t alarmed by any of the players he picked when the team news came out, so it would have been easy for me to be wise in hindsight and sit here and talk about how he shouldn’t have had Hume on the right or Mayanda up front. I think the team he picked looked aggressive and like a team that could go in there and take it to West Ham early and I think that’s probably their plan.
What we did – and this isn’t really what we did under this manager – was we took a big gamble. We thought we could catch West Ham off-guard by handling things in a way that they had not planned, and as usual the club had messed things up the night before with the news that Granit Xhaka would not start. Still, they tried to keep people guessing by posting a video of him traveling on a train with the team and then using his photo to promote the game. Still, I think by then the news that Granit will miss the game has already come out and you have to imagine that will come back to West Ham.
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They were like a pack of hyenas who knew our amulet was missing and smelled blood. I must admit, this makes me worried about the upcoming games. With Granit Xhaka on the pitch, almost everyone we face is afraid of us, but without him you have to admit we are much weaker.
Do clubs need to control leaks more strictly? I would say this. This isn’t the first time this season that important team news has been spread among the fanbase on the eve of a game (it’s happened to Diarra as well), and while people are keen to know what’s going on, the only thing that benefits is the team we’re facing who are on top and know what to prepare for.
Likewise, it may also be important to limit our transfer activity in such an important week. Several deals at the club this summer were botched by staff or freelancers who couldn’t get things done and didn’t go well – you may recall that pictures of Granit Xhaka were leaked before his signing was confirmed, which you can imagine angered those at the club who always want to deliver such information on their own terms. Whether it’s team news or signings, if it’s within our control we have to stop fueling social media rumors (yes, guilty, we at RR may have contributed to that too, but it’s not our job to contain it!) and keep it tight until the right time to let people know – let’s see if that comes to the fore as the week progresses.
One can imagine a refocusing after a crushing defeat. We’re not going to panic – I don’t think we’re going to make any rash changes in the transfer market because we’ve lost a game – but they always say you know your team better after a defeat and that might be the case after West Ham as well. It’s likely that many players had question marks on their minds and had already made up their minds after the game. It’s possible we’re struggling to sign a quality midfielder with experience, but seeing how much we missed Granite on Saturday, we realized we needed more options if we wanted to finish the season strong. Let’s wait and see.
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The truth is, it’s going to be a long week before we face Burnley. When you’re in a tough spot, I always think it would be better if we had another game soon so we could get things done and I bet the guys who are training this week will be absolutely itching to get back in training. However, the Academy of Light will also be the scene of significant changes, with high-profile players such as Daniel Neal and Anthony Patterson expected to leave to continue their careers elsewhere. The departures of both men seem inevitable and whilst our focus should be on moving forward and the next game, I do wonder what impact losing two popular lads will have on the dressing room. I’m sure their team-mates will be upset but it’s all part of the growing process as a club and we have to move on.
I hope the end result is that more and better players come into their position and are just as fast as their peers were in the summer.
