Sunderland AFC suffered a 2-1 defeat to Premier League new boys Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday afternoon, with Jack Clarke scoring the winner against his former club.
Emersonn opened the scoring for Ipswich after 24 minutes, following lackadaisical defending from the Black Cats. Julio Enciso drove toward Robin Roefs' box with pace, rounded Dan Ballard, and found his Brazilian teammate unmarked at the back post for a tap-in.
Nilson Angulo equalised for Sunderland before half-time with a free-kick that beat the Tractor Boys' wall, clipped the crossbar, and went into Kjell Scherpen's net.
Clarke's Late Winner
Sunderland came out looking more confident in the second half and had the lion's share of possession, but hearts sank when Clarke entered the pitch as a substitute for Enciso with less than 20 minutes to play.
The 25-year-old winger, who played for Sunderland between 2022 and 2024, curled the ball into the far right corner to win the game for Ipswich. As a result, Ipswich celebrated their return to the Premier League with all three points, while Sunderland made the long trip back to the North East empty-handed.
O'Nien's Ceiling
Luke O'Nien, who joined Sunderland from Wycombe Wanderers in 2018, has hit his ceiling, according to Chronicle Live's Aaron Morris. The 31-year-old was caught out of position for Emersonn's opener and was seen jogging back into position while Ballard was rounded and Enzo Le Fee covered for him.
O'Nien was also lucky to stay on the pitch after dragging Enciso down at the edge of the box, receiving only a yellow card. With competition from Ballard, Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele, and potentially Jenson Seelt, it's hard to see where he fits into Sunderland's plans.
Hume's Position and Creativity Concerns
Trai Hume has no place on the wing, with Chemsdine Talbi, Jocelin Ta Bi, Angulo, Romaine Mundle, and potentially Chris Rigg and Le Fee waiting in the wings. Le Bris experimented with playing the Northern Irishman as a winger last season, and it ultimately failed. Hume's best position is on the right-hand side of defence.
Sunderland still lack creativity in the final third, and have a little over a week to rectify that. Angulo struggled to beat Dara O'Shea in one-on-one battles at Portman Road, while Talbi faced a similar issue as a substitute. Geny Catamo, Matias Soule, and Ernest Poku have been floated as potential additions.
Brian Brobbey looked isolated against Ipswich, as he has since his arrival. A front two of Brobbey and Wilson Isidor could be tried, given their contrasting styles. Le Bris has plenty of thinking to do ahead of Sunderland's next Premier League outing against Fulham on Sunday, August 30 at home.
