Whether Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor can partner each other without unbalancing the Sunderland team has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Black Cats Ask me Anything form.
We were granted our first opportunity to see whether the pairing of Brobbey and Isidor will or could work in the home match against Fulham.
It is hard to say definitively, but on the evidence of that short cameo, I'd suggest there is no reason to think it couldn't work.
Isidor, of course, firmly believes it could but a lot depends on the balance of the team and how the likes of Enzo le Fee and Nilson Angulo are deployed.
It may well be something Regis le Bris is happier to try at the Stadium of Light, where there is a greater emphasis on the home team attacking than in away matches.

#whether

Amid all of the madness of last Tuesday's deadline day scramble, involving three new signings, private jets allegedly bound for Sunderland and South London, some last-minute involvement from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and a mysterious, guru-like figure known only as Uncle Bouba, it would've been easy to wed yourself to the view that "Sunderland have panicked! We've got it wrong and this isn't how it was supposed to be with such a historic season to come!"
OK, had we actually failed to sign Belgian winger Malick Fofana after protracted moves for the likes of Geny Catamo, Igor Paixão and Dodi Lukebakio failed to materialise for one reason or another, there might've been a case in favour of that.
However, as we took to our beds on Tuesday night with Fofana and Tottenham loanee Kevin Danso on board, and young Ecuadorian forward Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo to follow in the early hours of Wednesday, it felt as though we'd hauled what could've been an underwhelming window up into the 7/10 bracket — not dazzling, but solid enough.
Could it have been better? Perhaps.
Could it have been even more frustrating and ultimately underwhelming? Most definitely, and it must be said that the fact we were able to retain the services of Robin Roefs, Noah Sadiki and Brian Brobbey, as well as being willing to shut down any speculation surrounding Wilson Isidor's future with a new deal, felt borderline miraculous.

#last #amid #south #kyril

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris, speaking to BBC Sport: "I was really happy and pleased with our first half. It was probably one of our best first halves in the Premier League so far because Brentford are a really good team at home. But you have to be clinical.
"We dominated the ball and had a good bit of possession. It's a bit of a shame to concede the goal when we di. But the lads stayed connected. It was good for the substitutes because when they came on they were good and gave us extra drive."
On Dan Ballard's disallowed goal: "It's always tough. We respect the decision."
On Wilson Isidor's contribution after coming on: "The depth of the squad is getting better, we can feel it. It is positive for the future."
On Kevin Danso's debut: "He brings authority and physicality. In this league, if you don't have this quality, it's hard to manage long **** ."

#goal #regis

A little nervy, somewhat disjointed at times and by no means a complete ninety-minute performance from Sunderland, but given the events of the past week, encompassing the fallout from the Ipswich loss and a lack of breakthroughs in the transfer market, this was the kind of victory that we were never going to turn our noses up at.
For everyone connected with the club, a marathon season awaits.
Points on the board and a genuine sense of momentum are vital, and after Wilson Isidor swept home his first goal of the campaign having failed to take an even more gilt-edged opportunity minutes earlier after being teed up by Granit Xhaka, he showed why the club were willing to extend his contract and why Régis Le Bris was determined to keep him on Wearside, to the point of being unusually forthright when asked about it two weeks prior.
A pressure game? High stakes? Maybe not, but don't underestimate the importance of the win, not least because the naysayers would've been queuing up to throw verbal barbs had we not delivered when it mattered.
The victory itself and the fact that we're now off and running for 2026/2027 felt far more satisfying than the display on which it was founded, as Sunderland weren't brilliant on Sunday — far from it, in fact.

#victory #xhaka

Man Utd v Ipswich up next - team news as Rashford starts
Chelsea beat Brighton in seven-goal thriller - read how the players rated
Reports: Isidor gives Sunderland win over Fulham | Leeds and Brentford draw
Transfer latest as window shuts on Tuesday
Highlights and ******* ysis from Saturday's games | Play our Match of the Day predictor game

#Chelsea #brighton #fulham #leeds

Sunderland edged Fulham 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in Premier League action, with the only goal of the game arriving in the 75th minute. Wilson Isidor broke the deadlock with a right-footed finish from the centre of the box, after Habib Diarra had supplied the **** ist.
The home side were not dominant in possession, ending the match with 43% to Fulham's 57%, but they were more threatening in the final third. Sunderland registered 11 shots and three on target, compared with Fulham's six attempts and no shots on target, according to the match statistics.
Chance quality also leaned slightly towards Sunderland, who finished with 1.11 expected goals against Fulham's 0.36. The hosts also matched their opponents on corners, with three each, as they made their pressure count when it mattered most.
For Sunderland, the goal marked a first in the competition for Isidor, while Diarra registered his first **** ist. It was enough to secure all three points in a narrow but efficient victory.
Sunderland Official Line-ups:

#isidor #assist #match #target

Sunderland have handed new long-term contracts to Wilson Isidor and Robin Roefs, with the striker committing his future to the Black Cats until 2030 and the goalkeeper extending his stay on Wearside until 2031.
Isidor has become an important figure for Sunderland since joining the club, scoring 19 goals in 83 games for the club.
"I'm very happy to continue my journey with Sunderland," Isidor said.
"This club has given me some great memories already, and I feel there is still a lot more to achieve here.
"Playing in the Premier League and representing Haiti at the World Cup have been special moments for me, and now I'm focused on continuing to improve, helping the team and giving everything I can for the supporters."

#isidor

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris says the club are building for "one of the most exciting seasons for this club in over 50 years" after the Black Cats continued their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 win against Ligue 1 side Lens.
Second-half goals from Trai Hume and Wilson Isidor secured the victory in Sunderland's penultimate pre-season friendly before the beginning of a competitive season which will see them play in the Europa League.
"We are building for the season ahead - one of the most exciting seasons for this club in over 50 years," Le Bris said post-match.
"Layer by layer, step by step, we are improving every day.
"Today was a good game, a good step-up, against a very good side.

#club #good #bris #layer

West Ham United have thrown themselves into the race for Troy Parrott after identifying the AZ Alkmaar striker as a leading solution to their attacking problems. Claret & Hugh, quoting respected journalist Alan Nixon, reports that the Championship club are prepared to pay more than £20 million to complete the deal rather than trying to negotiate a reduced fee.
That stance separates West Ham from several interested clubs. AZ Alkmaar have stayed firm on their valuation, and the Hammers appear willing to match it if negotiations progress. Tottenham Hotspur would collect another financial benefit from the transfer after selling Parrott to the Dutch side in 2024, making this a move with consequences beyond East London.
Recruitment work continues elsewhere. Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor remains on West Ham's shortlist, while discussions over a Ligue 1 forward have reportedly reached an advanced stage. Even so, Parrott has climbed near the top of the club's wish list after a disappointing pre-season in front of goal.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY – NOVEMBER 16: Troy Parrott of Republic of Ireland celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Hungary and Republic of Ireland at on November 16, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. (Photo by David Balogh/Getty Images)
Few forwards across Europe improved their reputation more than Parrott last season. The Republic of Ireland international struck 16 Eredivisie goals and supplied five ******* ists in 28 league appearances during the 2025/26 campaign. Across all competitions, he delivered 30 goals, helping AZ Alkmaar lift the KNVB Cup while establishing himself as one of Dutch football's standout finishers.

#parrott #west #republic

Wilson Isidor is a transfer target for West Ham United. The 25-year-old Sunderland striker is valued at £20m and scored six goals in 32 Premier League appearances for the Black Cats last season. (Alan Nixon - Patreon)
There is more of Monday's EFL gossip here.

#wilson #sunderland #league #alan

First and foremost, it’s nigh on impossible to argue against the economic logic of Eliezer Mayenda’s sale to Rennes.
A fee rumoured to be north of £20 million for a player that cost around £800,000 when we signed him from Sochaux in 2023 represents another piece of Sunderland transfer wizardry and even once sell-on clauses are factored in, the profit will be hefty and it’ll be clear that the principles of “Sign, nurture, develop, sell and hopefully reinvest smartly” have been adhered to once again.
He scored our first goal of the 2025/2026 season, rising high to power a header past a stranded Mads Hermansen when West Ham made the trip north last summer, but will Mayenda pass this way again?
Maybe not in red and white, but after two or three hopefully productive seasons in France, I could easily see him making a big-money move to a rival Premier League club. In the meantime, we can add another forward to the summer shopping list; hopefully, this means that Wilson Isidor will remain on Wearside, and the road goes ever on and on.
This sale undoubtedly shines a spotlight on the challenge being faced by Sunderland.

Graham Potter’s season ended as it began, with a 3-0 defeat. And there the similarities may have ended, given that the victorious teams were Sunderland and France. Eliezer Mayenda, Daniel Ballard and Wilson Isidor, Potter’s tormentors in August, are rarely compared with Kylian Mbappe and Bradley Barcola, who ended Sweden’s World Cup.
He has gone from the Stadium of Light to the MetLife Stadium. Sacked by West Ham, a saviour for Sweden, there has been a redemptive feel to it. The eventual verdict must be that he is among those culpable for West Ham’s relegation, even if his own participation in their campaign was curtailed by a September firing. He got five games with the Hammers in the Premier League, four with Sweden in the World Cup.
He ended it looking more comfortable in his skin and confident in his demeanour than he ever appeared at Chelsea and West Ham. It also finished with Sweden being utterly outclassed by France. The consolation prize may be that they lost to the eventual World Cup winners. “We had to be perfect and even if we were I am not sure if that would have been enough, if I am brutally honest,” said Potter. “I personally haven’t seen a better team.”
Sweden may be a more forgiving environment than east or west London – though his axed predecessor Jon Dahl Tomasson might disagree – but Potter could be spared a brutal inquest. It is a perilous time to be a manager of a European side returning home. Steve Clarke and Ronald Koeman are gone, falling on their own swords. Julian Nagelsmann may fall on someone else’s. Potter’s Sweden were porous at the back in the United States but he has enhanced his reputation in the last few months. He will survive.
Realism dictated Sweden were underdogs against France. “You look at the careers and CVs of the French team and compare them to ours,” said Potter. The magnificence of Michael Olise and Mbappe meant they would have demolished many a side. And, in the wider picture, Potter has taken Sweden further than felt feasible.

Morocco twice overcame the shock of conceding to Haiti to win a World Cup thriller 4-2 in Atlanta on Wednesday, but missed out on top spot in Group C to Brazil.
Haiti bowed out with their first World Cup goals for 52 years as a Yassine Bounou own goal and Wilson Isidor's stunning strike twice gave them the lead.
Achraf Hakimi and Ismael Saibari, with his third goal in as many games at the World Cup, levelled before half-time.
Soufiane Rahimi was nearly brought to tears when the 30-year-old's deflected effort found the top corner to give Morocco the lead before Gessime Yassine rounded off the scoring.
But Morocco missed out on top spot in the group to Brazil on goal difference, meaning they will head to Monterrey for a likely meeting against the Netherlands or **** an on Monday.

FC Bayern’s future star Ismael Saibari maintained his record of scoring in every World Cup game he played, with a goal in Morocco’s 4-2 win over Haiti. The result saw the 2022 semi-finalists join the Round of 32 as Group C runners-up.
The current PSV attacker had multiple chances to add to his tally before his goal on the stroke of half-time to make it 2-2. Haiti surprisingly took the lead twice in first-half, including with one of the goals of the tournament from Wilson Isidor.
Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine – who were both introduced in the 70th minute – scored the goals that handed three points for Morocco after an enthralling encounter. Haiti have lost each of their six World Cup games.
In a game dominated by Neymar’s tournament debut, Brazil topped the group with a 3-0 victory over Scotland. Morocco tied the five-time winners with seven points, but they had to settle for second place because of inferior goal difference.
Scotland finished third with three points and only one goal scored, as they will hope not to miss out on the top eight finish in the ranking of third-placed teams. However, that seems very unlikely as they're already in sixth place with the six groups below them yet to be completed.

Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to register their interest in West Ham's £80m-rated midfielder Mateus Fernandes, with Real Madrid and Manchester United also keen on the 21-year-old Portuguese. (The Athletic - subscription required)
West Ham are eyeing a move for Sunderland and Haiti striker Wilson Isidor, 25, who helped the Black Cats win promotion to the Premier League in 2024-25. (Football League World)
For more transfer news and rumours, read Friday's full gossip column here.