Sunderland 2-1 Sheffield United: Instant reaction to Isidor and Mayenda masterclass

Sunderland Echo

Transcript

00:00Hello, welcome to the Stadium Light, where Sunderland have just beaten Sheffield United 2-1.

00:05Anthony Patterson saved a penalty in the first half.

00:08Eliza Maenda scored alongside Wilson Isidor as well.

00:11It was an own goal from Lugo 9, sandwiched within that.

00:14We won't talk about that too much.

00:16Regis Lebrie went to 4-4-2.

00:18It was sensational. It was electric.

00:20I really enjoyed that goal.

00:21Yeah, I think a lot of credit for that win as to go to Regis Lebrie.

00:24I think to go to a 4-4-2 against a team of Sheffield United's calibre,

00:28with the midfield they have, anything could have happened,

00:31but I thought Maenda just looked totally liberated by playing through the middle.

00:34Sunderland were a bit more direct than we used to see from them,

00:37but I thought their first-half performance was impeccable really,

00:39other than obviously the penalty and the own goal.

00:42Maenda, I thought, was terrific.

00:44Yeah, I think you have to give Lebrie a lot of credit.

00:46The second half was nervy, but I think, to be fair,

00:48you always felt like Sunderland had a chance to score on the break.

00:51So a really, really good all-round performance, and like I say,

00:53I think that was a brave decision from Lebrie to mix it.

00:56He could so easily have played Aushish in the middle,

00:58shifted Maenda out wide and kept it the same.

01:00Which is what I thought it was at the beginning.

01:01Yeah, but it was a ball call, and I thought that was where the game was won really.

01:04I just thought that Sheffield United didn't seem to expect that,

01:06and we found so much space in behind.

01:08Huge credit to it.

01:09The east door on Maenda, he'll have done so much running tonight.

01:12Brilliant, and fair play to Lebrie as well for sticking with Maenda.

01:15I think it would have been an easy call to take him out the firing line.

01:18He's still 19, high-profile misses against Blackburn, Rovers and Stoke City.

01:22A lot of chat there online from Sunderland fans,

01:24should he be taken out.

01:26All of that factors into a manager's decision.

01:28He stuck with him.

01:29He said in his press conference he was going to stick with him.

01:31His faith was repaid tonight, and credit to Maenda as well,

01:34because he would have been aware of that outside noise,

01:37and he's come in and produced a performance really of the highest quality today.

01:40He's 19 years old.

01:41He's on seven goals and assists for the season.

01:43I mean, you know, if you'd have said a week ago that he would have done that,

01:47not many people would have believed you.

01:49I think he's a top prospect.

01:50I think he's gone through a little lull in form.

01:52He's made a couple of mistakes.

01:53I think there's a proper, proper play there, Phil.

01:55Yeah, I thought it was a really good finish, you know,

01:57especially because he would definitely have had that Blackburn one in his mind.

02:00Oh yeah, it was a carbon copy, really.

02:02It was such a nervous finish.

02:03I think what we saw today is that when there's space on the pitch,

02:06Maenda is such a threat.

02:08I mean, time and time again.

02:09You know, Sheffield United, yes, in the second half especially,

02:11they took risks.

02:12They kind of left him on his own, really,

02:14in the hope that they could sort of get an overload at the pitch.

02:16But I thought Maenda could score pretty much any time.

02:18I thought the space that they managed to create for each other,

02:21Maenda and Wilson Isidor,

02:23it almost seemed to give Wilson Isidor a little bit extra,

02:25a little bit more of a lease of life.

02:27I think he enjoyed having somewhere up there with him.

02:29Yeah, and we have to, I mean, that was a brilliant individual goal.

02:32A nice pass from Maenda, but Isidor had it all to do.

02:34And Armad Dozic, he is one of the best centre-halves in this division,

02:37and he didn't see that coming.

02:38That was absolutely terrific.

02:39Maenda with the assist as well for that.

02:40Yeah, absolutely terrific.

02:41Dan Neil, can we just say, what a performance.

02:43Again, in the middle, I just think he's fantastic.

02:45His range of passing today was brilliant.

02:47Sort of looked a little bit liberated again,

02:48and played a little bit further forward as a two.

02:50I don't know how sustainable that would be across the rest of the season,

02:53but I thought he was really good again tonight.

02:55Him and Job.

02:56I think, obviously, it's a big risk playing two midfield.

02:58They had to get through so much running,

03:00and I thought they dominated, really.

03:01So, yeah, if I was to pick my three players,

03:03Maenda and Isidor are the obvious ones,

03:04but I would definitely pick Dan Neil.

03:06I actually thought Chris Meckham was very, very good as well.

03:08Some big defensive interventions in the first half,

03:10some lovely passes over the top as well that set Maenda and Isidor up.

03:13If I had to push you for man of the match, just one?

03:15I think you would have to go for Maenda.

03:16I think for taking his chance,

03:17but also the way he created so much havoc

03:19throughout the game, really.

03:20I think he'd have to be my pick.

03:21I'm in agreement. Maenda it is.

03:23Thanks for watching.

03:24They'll be in on the whistle tomorrow, Phil.

03:25Yeah, yeah.

03:26You can put your questions in to me on Blue Sky,

03:27or you can leave them below the YouTube video,

03:29and I'll pick those ones up as well.

03:30Nice one. Thanks for watching,

03:31and a Happy New Year to everybody.

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