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