Brian Brobbey has delivered an honest assessment of Sunderland’s attacking struggles after the Brighton defeat

Brian Brobbey has admitted Sunderland must improve in front of goal after the Black Cats’ defeat to Brighton at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland were beaten 1-0 on Wearside, with Yankuba Minteh’s second-half strike proving the difference in a tight Premier League contest. Régis Le Bris’ side struggled to create clear chances throughout the afternoon, something Brobbey acknowledged after the game as he reflected on the team’s attacking output. “Yeah, if everybody's watching the game, we are not creating that much,” Brobbey said. “It's hard to create, but, when we have the chance, we just need to score.”

The Dutch striker insisted the squad are working on finding solutions in training as they look to rediscover their attacking rhythm. “Yeah, we are training on it, and hopefully we're going to find a solution soon.” Despite the frustration of the result, Brobbey says he has enjoyed his time at Sunderland since arriving at the club. “Really good, really nice people here. We have a good, close team.”

Brobbey is also hoping his performances can help strengthen his chances of returning to the international stage ahead of the next World Cup. When asked what he needs to do at Sunderland to boost his hopes of selection, he kept his answer simple. “Score goals. I don't know [how many]. I just play game by game.”

The 23-year-old also spoke about the experience of playing at the Stadium of Light, comparing it with some of the other major arenas he has featured in during his career. “Yeah, sure. I played in Marseille, also a nice stadium. The Ajax stadium is also a nice stadium. It's a good stadium.”

Brobbey also faced fellow Dutch international Bart Verbruggen during the Brighton clash, though he admitted the matchup had not crossed his mind before kick-off. “Oh, I didn't even think about that. As a striker you always want to score, so no.”

The striker joined Sunderland late in the transfer window but says he has been delighted with the decision to move to Wearside. “Really happy. I know a lot of Dutch guys also, so really happy. We have really good fans. The fans are protecting you here as well, so yeah.”

Enzo Le Fèe could make the derby on Sunday

Le Bris confirmed that both Angulo and Le Fée had suffered setbacks in training ahead of the game. The news forced another reshuffle of the Black Cats’ attacking options and added fresh uncertainty heading into next weekend’s Tyne-Wear derby.

Before the game, Le Bris provided an update on Angulo and Le Fee ahead of the game against Newcastle: “Yeah, they picked up injuries during the training session, which is a shame, but it is what it is. We are more or less in this cycle when it's hard to manage the load, but we still have a strong starting XI, players on the bench to help the squad. It's a bit early, probably for Nilson; it might last four weeks, six weeks, and for Enzo, it might be less. I hope for the derby against Newcastle.”

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Le Bris also revealed that Wilson Isidor is managing an injury issue, which is why he wasn’t risked in the closing stages even as Sunderland laboured to get back into the game following Yankuba Minteh’s goal midway through the second half.

“It wasn't possible [to bring Wilson on] because he got an injury,” Le Bris said. “We were really on the edge. We were cautious. We could have pushed him, but it was risky. Rather than taking risks, it was the case for Brian as well. Brian can go all the way, but because we pushed until the end rather than keeping 65-70 minutes because it was the load expected, we can lose another player.

“At the minute, we are struggling a bit. We are just on the edge, but we try our best to keep the team safe. Dan had discomfort with his hamstring, so we hope it isn't too serious. We expect Enzo to be ready for Newcastle; it might be possible. For Nilson, we'll have to wait at least four to six weeks. Reinildo will train with us tomorrow, so that's good news.”

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