Sunderland coach delivers Timur Tutierov first-team chance verdict after blistering U21s form
Graeme Murty has given his view on the chances of the academy’s young stars playing Sunderland’s first-team
Graeme Murty says Sunderland’s U21s have a group of young players who are “more than capable” of playing league football after a dominant 7–1 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Premier League International Cup.
The victory lifted Sunderland into second place in Group D with four points from two games, leaving them well positioned to reach the knockout stages. Murty was full of praise for the likes of Timur Tutierov and Ben Middlemas, who shone again in a clinical attacking performance, and said several of the club’s prospects are showing the qualities needed to take the next step.
“Well, I think if you come here tonight and you watch the young players play, I think we have a group that could play league football,” Murty said when asked about the chances of Tutierov and Middlemas playing for Sunderland’s first team. “Whether they're in the league will be down to themselves, but their job is to put themselves in a really good place – to almost sell what they can do – and they did a really good job of that this evening,” Murty said.
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Sunderland’s U21s were boosted by double-promotion winning trio Luke O’Nien, Dennis Cirkin and Dan Neil dropping down to play in the Premier League International Cup to boost their minutes ahead of a busy festive period. “They played alongside some really experienced players, but they have to be able to stand on their own two feet, and I think they showed they’re more than capable of doing that tonight,” Murty added
“And I don’t think it was just those two. We’ve got a group capable of making a step. Whoever makes that step isn’t down to us, but all the players can do is approach every game in the right manner. I thought they were exceptional at that tonight.”
The result leaves Sunderland second in Group D, behind Leeds United, who have won both of their opening fixtures. The Black Cats have scored nine goals across their first two matches in the competition, with confidence high and further fixtures against Sporting CP and Dortmund at the Stadium of Light still to come before the Murty’s men learn whether or not they have qualified for the next round of the competition.
Murty said the message to his players is simple: keep winning and the big occasions will follow. “We’ve got exciting games coming up. I keep telling the players – if you want more of these nights, keep winning. Beat what’s in front of you and earn another opponent,” he said. “I’m thankful to the first-team players for the way they approached it. We go into the next game optimistic, but we’ll demand that level of intensity from the start.”