James Copley: 4 things I thought during Sunderland vs Stoke City - and the players whose Cats careers are over
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Sunderland lost to Stoke City in the FA Cup following 90 minutes of normal time plus another 30 for good measure.
Here are a couple of things I thought during the game against Stoke, including some probably-not-that-hot takes on transfers and team selection heading into next weekend’s game against Burnley:
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Hide AdIs the magic of the FA Cup on the decline? Maybe...
Despite the “magic” of the FA Cup taking a little bit of a dent this weekend, I still thought there was some on show from a Sunderland point of view
Everton defeated Peterborough United, Manchester City thrashed Salford City 8-0, Liverpool battered Accrington Stanley, Leicester City put six past Queens Park Rangers, and Chelsea thrashed Morecambe by five. It is safe to say that there haven’t been too many decent stories in this season’s third round, even with Plymouth’s narrow win over Brentford.
There are some interesting ties to come on Sunday, with Tamworth playing Tottenham and Newcastle United facing Bromley - it will be interesting to see how they play out for sure. Indeed, Stoke City boss Mark Robins bemoaned the small attendance at the Stadium of Light after the game against Sunderland and strongly hinted that the competition was struggling compared to its former glory days - and it probably is.
However, it is always worth noting that the FA Cup third-round tie against Stoke City will be significant for some. For instance, I knew of one mother taking her primary school-age son to the football for the first time on Saturday. That game, despite the loss, smaller crowd and freezing temperatures, could be THE fixture that hooks him and starts the love affair.
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Hide AdMoreover, Stoke City in the FA Cup will always be remembered by the family of Academy of Light graduate Harrison Jones. The 20-year-old boyhood Sunderland fan started in the middle alongside fellow homegrown players Dan Neil and Chris Rigg at the Stadium of Light for the very first time. I would like to congratulate him on this fantastic achievement. We all dream of playing for Sunderland in front of fellow Mackems as children, and it was nice to see Jones accomplish that feat.
I thought this message from his dad, Steven Jones, on social media was brilliant. He wrote, referencing his son and Neil: “Proudest and most nervous day of my life! He’s worked so hard for this, and two Sunderland supporters centre mid together.” It was also nice to see Trey Ogunsuyi, 17, make his debut in the second half; the striker is another hugely exciting prospect. Whatever happens in their careers, these players will always remember this particular game.
These three Sunderland players first-team careers are quite clearly over (as it stands)
Despite making five changes to his starting XI from the last league game against Portsmouth, head coach Le Bris could not find a spot in his squad for three fringe players.
Jewison Bennette, Joe Anderson and Abdoullah Ba were once again nowhere to be seen in terms of first-team involvement. It suggests that the trio’s senior Sunderland careers are all but over as we head into the third week of the January transfer window.
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Hide AdIt feels like it would take a stunning turnaround and set of circumstances for Le Bris to consider changing his mind on the matter, and you have to think that their exits during the winter trading period are highly likely should offers come in when considering the three couldn’t get into a rotated squad. The head coach just clearly doesn’t fancy them.
I was really upset for Aji Alese after his injury
It is never nice to see any player stretchered off injured but I was particularly gutted for Aji Alese.
The defender’s foot seemed to get caught in the ground, and he pulled up immediately, holding his knee and leg. It didn’t look good at all, and I’m expecting the outcome to be a bad one, unfortunately.
It is particularly hard to take on a human level as Alese comes across as such a nice guy and has done lots of work with the Foundation of Light since he arrived at the club in 2022. The former West Ham man has also struggled with other serious injuries in recent seasons, struggling to get momentum going. I wish him well in his recovery.
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Hide AdAlese’s injury is also a nightmare in terms of Sunderland’s Squad. Not only is he a fantastic player when fit, but he can play in two positions: centre-back and left-back. His injury highlights an emerging priority for the Black Cats’ transfer team heading into the second half of the window, with Le Bris squad now looking a tad light at full-back, particularly on the left-hand side.
Sunderland’s change back to a 4-3-3 was interesting
I thought Le Bris’ decision to opt for a 4-3-3 was interesting and probably a big hint regarding his favoured system heading into the Burnley game on Saturday.
Sunderland have played two games recently using 4-4-2 with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda up front. It has worked well at times, and the record does show two home wins against Sheffield United and Portsmouth when going full Mike Bassett (if you know, you know).
However, with Rigg and Salis Abdul Samed now fit coupled with the arrival of AS Roma midfielder Enzo Le Fèe on a six-month loan, I’m fairly sure Le Bris will opt for three in the middle away to Burnley in the Championship given the magnitude of the game. Mind you, I do think Mayenda is better as a striker rather than a right-sided attacker - and it will be interesting to see if the Spaniard starts after Patrick Roberts was rested against Stoke City.
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