ISIDOR BACK IN THE GOALS

When Wilson Isidor put Sunderland level at Stamford Bridge back in October to net his fourth goal of the season, many would have thought that the now Haiti international was going to be our talisman for the campaign, with Brian Brobbey yet to really show anything in Red and White at the time (well, until the latter stages of that very game anyway). Fast forward to April and Isidor has scored his first goal since that game against Chelsea, equalising against Villa which in the end meant very little but for him I am sure it was a much-needed confidence boost and a bit of a statement to supporters and the manager that he still has something to offer at this level.

I have said all season that it is hard to really go in on any of the strikers, with a standout issue for us as the season has progressed being a lack of creativity from wide areas and even in midfield at times. Brobbey has been the go-to man more so due to his ability away from the penalty area, with attributes such as his hold-up and link-up play being something that has given him the upper hand with selection compared to Isidor and Mayenda. It is worth adding that despite starting six more games than Isidor, Brobbey has only one more goal than the Haiti international.

The ball Enzo Le Fee played for Isidor yesterday has been something we have completely lacked at times this season. Utilising pace in our front line and playing a bit more direct without it just being an aimless hoof up top. Le Fee has played a lot of games out wide this season and I do wonder that maybe we should look to get him back centrally to try and play like this more often. I have found recently Diarra does not seem to do this sort of thing, maybe it is tactical, I do not know, but we can sometimes be a bit safe with the passes in midfield.

Isidor has always been a player that likes to run in behind and when playing this season those runs have largely been ignored, but yesterday showed just what can happen when playing to his strengths.

His future is up in the air with many expecting him to be on his way in the summer. However, should he have a good end of the season, whether that be as an impact sub or even possibly as a strike partner to Brobbey which is something I have seen suggested a lot after yesterday’s game and would definitely be something I would be up for seeing, but how we would do that without hindering our control in the midfield is another thing.

Either way I was absolutely delighted to see Wilson back in the goals. In fact, I was delighted to see that all three goalscorers yesterday were Lads that were part of our promotion winning side. It has been a tough and frustrating season for Isidor, but with his eyes set on playing in this summer’s World Cup, you would imagine he has that fire in his belly to get himself in form going into it and to prove the doubters wrong and show he is more than capable of playing in the top flight of English football.