The Sunderland Chronicle
Squad6 Oct 2042
Alex Lienard damages knee ligaments — 107 days out
The words a physio says slowly. 107 days is what the club will announce and everybody who has heard this diagnosis before knows the number is the least of it: the knee comes back before the player does.
Squad6 Oct 2042
David Ilsanker has been here 12 seasons
144 appearances across 12 seasons in one shirt. Nobody builds a career like that on purpose any more; it happens to a certain kind of footballer at a certain kind of club.
Squad6 Oct 2042
Peter Howard keeps the receipts
“I remember the meeting. I remember exactly what was promised in it.” Sunderland may remember it differently, which is precisely the problem.
Squad6 Oct 2042
A one-man rearguard from David Ilsanker
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Player ratings6 Oct 2042
Mateus Mané, 35, rolls back the years — 8.13
There is an age at which every good afternoon gets described as a throwback, which is unfair and also accurate. 8.13 at 35, and nobody on the pitch was better.
Player ratings6 Oct 2042
Caden Voice was immovable
22 times he got in the way of something. Centre-halves get written about when they make mistakes and ignored when they do not, so an afternoon like this needs saying out loud: he is the reason the scoreline reads as it does.
Match4 Oct 2042
Sunderland see off Brentford
Three points for Sunderland, 2‑0 the final word against Brentford in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Player ratings6 Oct 2042
Benjamin Barnes runs at them all day
Successful dribbles: 19. There is a particular sort of despair on a full-back's face by the seventieth minute, and it was on display.
Player ratings6 Oct 2042
Nothing got past Liam Smith
Headers, blocks, tackles, interceptions — 17 of them, and not one goal behind him. The sort of performance that never makes a highlight reel and wins football matches.
In brief
- Market The Leon Routh question follows Sunderland around
- Market Thomas Edwards told to find a new club
- Market The clock runs on Simon Smith's contract