Graeme Murty admits Sunderland U21s were “really passive” in the first half against Anderlecht but praised their second-half response

Graeme Murty says he was “loving” the intensity of Sunderland’s Premier League International Cup draw with Anderlecht – but admitted there were “lots and lots and lots” of aspects that frustrated him.

Murty’s young Sunderland side twice came from behind to secure a 2–2 draw in their opening Group D fixture of the Premier League International Cup at the Stadium of Light. Goals from Brian Brobbey and Timur Tutierov in either half ensured the points were shared against a strong Anderlecht outfit.

The visitors had taken an early lead through Ntanda Samuel after a handball against Archie Lightfoot, before Brobbey levelled with a smart finish following Harrison Jones’ pass. Joshua Bethuna’s long-range strike restored Anderlecht’s advantage before Tutierov equalised late on with a composed finish from Jack Whittaker’s through ball.

"I was talking to the coach on the sideline when we were watching the game, he was loving it and I was as well," Murty said. "So there was loads of different elements in the game that you could have pieced out and it could have really dissected for a long time, but the tempo of the game, the competitive nature of the game, and I've got to say, both sides showed not a little bit of quality as well.

"So, I think, as a spectacle for the Premier League Cup, International Cup, I think it was a fairly good one. I hope that people outside enjoyed it, as for me, I'll go away, I'll dissect the bits that irritated me and the bits that pleased me as well and I'll make sure we give the players a really good balanced view of what we did well and what we need to do better."

When asked what had irritated him, Murty was typically forthright in his assessment. "Lots and lots and lots and lots," he admitted. "I thought, in the first half, I thought we were really passive. I thought we stood off and allowed Anderlecht to have a really, really good evening.

"So for the first 45 minutes, they had a stroll around the SoL and really enjoyed the atmosphere and really enjoyed the pitch and the surroundings and we really never got close to anyone and we really didn't put them under pressure.

“I thought that, after a few reminders at half-time, the tempo of the game in the second half was significantly higher, our ball speed was significantly higher and we were much, much more aggressive in the press. So once we sorted that out, I think that put us on a better footing to go and show how good we can be with the ball and I thought that we deserved, at the very least, to get a draw."

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Murty named a strong XI featuring first-team regulars Anthony Patterson, Luke O’Nien, Brobbey and Eliezer Mayenda, alongside emerging talents such as Harrison Jones and second-year scholar Archie Lightfoot. Captain Ben Middlemas again led by example in midfield.

The draw leaves Sunderland with one point from their opening fixture in Group D, ahead of further tests against Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund and Athletic Club Bilbao later in the competition. Sunderland’s under-21s return to action on Monday night when they travel to Nottingham Forest in Premier League 2.

Your next Sunderland read: James Copley's Sunderland U21s player ratings vs Anderlecht – including O'Nien, Brobbey and Patterson grades