Sunderland pre-season winners and losers as Melker Ellborg and Leo Hjelde endure difficult starts
Chris Rigg, Enzo Le Fée and Timur Tutierov have impressed in Sunderland’s opening pre-season games, while others have work to do
It is, of course, only pre-season. There is still a long way to go; plenty of players are working their way back to full fitness, and Sunderland have not yet had anything close to their complete squad available.
There will be twists, turns and probably several performances over the next few weeks that make some of these early conclusions look completely daft.
We should not be analysing friendly matches too deeply. Then again, with Sunderland’s transfer window moving fairly slowly, we need something to write about. Here are the early winners and losers after games against York City and Liverpool.
Winner: Chris Rigg
Rigg has arguably been Sunderland’s biggest winner so far. The 19-year-old scored against York and followed that with a very good first-half performance against Liverpool in Nashville. He looked stronger on the ball, more assured receiving under pressure and increasingly comfortable in a deeper midfield role.
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That is important because Rigg spent plenty of last season playing from the right, despite that never feeling like his natural long-term position. He has also started to develop an encouraging understanding with Enzo Le Fée. Rigg can carry the ball and make forward runs from number eight, while Le Fée drifts into pockets ahead of him. There will be serious competition when Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki return, but Rigg has started pre-season like someone determined to force the issue.
Winner: Enzo Le Fée
Not that Le Fée needed to prove himself, but my word, what a footballer. The Frenchman has scored three in two pre-season games, and the quality of each finish has been outstanding. His goal against Liverpool was particularly special, curling Sunderland level after an excellent first-half performance.
Le Fée has looked mesmeric in the number-ten role. He finds space, controls the tempo and makes Sunderland a much better team when he receives the ball between midfield and defence. There is a calmness to everything he does, even when the game around him becomes frantic. He has already spoken about wanting to score more this season. Two goals in two games is not a bad place to start.
Winner: Timur Tutierov
Tutierov has three goal contributions from Sunderland’s first two pre-season fixtures and has done his prospects no harm whatsoever. His future looked uncertain at the end of last season, but Sunderland have since handed him a new contract and he has responded with impressive performances.
Whether the 20-year-old leaves on loan again remains to be seen. Regular EFL football could still be the best thing for his development, particularly given the competition in Sunderland’s wide areas. Europa League and domestic cup football may change the calculation, though. Tutierov has shown he can score goals, create chances and make an impact from either the start or the bench. If he continues in this form, Le Bris may decide he is worth keeping around the senior squad.
Loser: Leo Hjelde
It is still early, and Hjelde was unfortunate to suffer discomfort in his knee against York, but he has not really impressed since returning. It was positive to see him back on the pitch against Liverpool, particularly after the injury concern, but he does not currently look like a Premier League defender, if we are being completely honest.
Hjelde has some useful qualities. He is left-footed, can cover centre-back and left-back and has value from a squad-registration perspective. The issue is whether he can genuinely be trusted to contribute at the level Sunderland now require. There is time for that impression to change, but as things stand, he appears to have plenty of work to do to force his way into Le Bris’ plans.
Loser: Melker Ellborg
Ellborg hasn’t looked massively convincing with the ball at his feet during pre-season. That should not lead to any sweeping conclusions. The Swedish goalkeeper had a small run in the Premier League last season and was involved in major away wins against Leeds United and Newcastle United. He has already shown he is capable of performing at that level.
It may simply be a case of Ellborg finding his rhythm after a summer break and a long period without regular competitive football. He remains hugely popular with supporters and has the personality to move on quickly from a difficult game. Sunderland will hope Nashville was nothing more than a slow start.
Winner: Tom Proctor
Proctor has been one of the most enjoyable surprises of Sunderland’s opening two friendlies. The striker, Sunderland’s youngest player used during pre-season, scored against York and looked very lively after coming on against Liverpool.
He pressed with enthusiasm, showed good movement and did not appear intimidated by the quality of the opposition. There is still plenty of growing and maturing ahead. Proctor is nowhere near the finished product, and Sunderland will be careful not to place too much expectation on him too soon.
The raw ability is clearly there, though. Pre-season is often about young players taking unexpected opportunities, and Proctor has already given academy staff and Le Bris something to think about. Two friendlies cannot decide anyone’s season, but Rigg, Le Fée, Tutierov and Proctor have started positively. Hjelde and Ellborg have more to show. Ask again after the American tour, and the list may already look very different after upcoming games against Wrexham and Leeds United during their trip stateside before returning to Europe to play Rennes and Lens.