2 Up, 2 Down: Isidor Gives Sunderland Lift Off Against Fulham

Nordi Mukiele was simply incredible.

I’m not sure if I just haven’t seen him at centre half for a while and forgot that that’s what he always does, but he didn’t give Fulham a sniff.

Strong, fast, incisive and an incredible leader…it’s great to see him back in arguably his best position (he’s just great everywhere).

A rare criticism that I think could’ve been levelled at the lads last week was their overall application.

It’s hard to say whether it was tiredness or attitude, but I’m happy to say that this wasn’t the case yesterday.

A typical battle-hardened defensive effort which saw out the game today. It was the likes of which we got very accustomed to last season, and long may it continue. A note for an excellent Granit Xhaka performance, too. 

The first half was a bit of a shambles.

We had no ideas, no penetration and no endeavour at all.

While it didn’t ultimately cost us due to a much improved second half performance, it’s clear where we’re lacking (I don’t need to echo it again here) and re-emphasised the need for further recruitment ahead of tomorrow.

You’d have hardly believed it at half time, but by the end of the game we’d had four clear cut opportunities, of which we only converted one.

Isidor redeemed his poor first effort which deflected off the post with the winner, but Enzo Le Fée and Romaine Mundle both squandered excellent opportunities in acres of space in the Fulham box.

Four great chances to score one isn’t a sustainable model — improvement needed.

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I felt his energy and dynamism changed the game in our favour, along with Habib Diarra’s. The pair came on and pressed their man and fortunately for us, it was the pair of them that linked up for our winning goal.

Although he missed arguably an easier chance five minutes prior, he didn’t let it affect him and he buried his second chance — the sign of a good and confident striker! 

So happy to have our versatile Frenchman back in the starting line up today.

Sky Sports gave Granit Xhaka man of the match, but for me it was Mukiele, with tackle after tackle, pass after pass and block after block.

The man was a colossus at the back, and Dan Ballard looks a lot more assured alongside him too!

We were sloppy in possession of the ball in the first half.

I got overly frustrated with Nilson Angulo as he didn’t fancy taking his man on at all. He did it once and skinned his man easily but never tried again?

Our passing lacked any vigour and if not for Noah Sadiki’s ever-industrious performance, I’d probably have gone in at half time in a slightly more sour mood.

As I mentioned above, Diarra’s energy and direct nature changed the game…then he went and did his hamstring!

He was like a new signing for me this season as we didn’t see much of him last season. Great assist for Isidor, then he went off injured. I really hope it’s something minor and that a few days’ rest and ice packs can fix.

Result aside, what a joy to be back. Like a family reunion.

I was looking for my Legends’ Way stone before the game and looking for my ticket in my wallet before going into the ground. Once inside, I renewed acquaintances and noticed the young lovebirds ahead of me will shortly be having a baby! Another family member!

New Granit Xhaka video, new tifo…we’re back!

After a turgid first half where some players seemed to be lacking confidence to try something different or take a man on, the second half was a little bit more connected.

Cue Wilson Isador in his shiny new blue boots to get our first points on the board. He’s certainly worth starting in some games.

I could almost count them — twenty six or twenty seven of them, and then they started singing “Shall we sing a song for you?”

We’re still in the ‘rusty’ phase of the season — too many slack passes and indecisiveness. Robin Roefs is slow to release at times but it’ll come, as we have a very decent group of players.

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The boss once again shuffled the pack and out-thought the rival head coach.

Last season, we saw just how adept he was at changing tactics to make a difference and this was another example. Two of his substitutes combined to deliver the winner and I have to say that Wilson Isidor celebrated his new deal with a brilliant cameo.

Three points — however they’re delivered — will go a long way to settling the nerves and will start to build a belief that we can make the Stadium of Light a fortress again this season given we lost to Fulham at home last year.

We deserved the win and if anything, it gave the management team a clear indication of where we need to focus before the transfer window closes.

The team really didn’t offer anything going forward in the first half and all too often a square pass was preferable to taking a risk on a pass to unlock Fulham’s defence.

It improved in the second half but at home, we need to be willing to play it forward.

Having said we were playing square and backwards passes in an effort to create a chance, we got caught in possession or failed to find a player too many times.

Fulham weren’t capable of making us pay but better sides certainly could. It may well be counter-intuitive to my previous point but maybe it’s that fear of losing the ball that had something to do with the negative build up.

Whatever, it is one for the training ground in the coming week.

Mukiele is possibly the most accomplished defender I’ve seen in a Sunderland shirt since Jonny Evans.

Quite simply magnificent — my man of the match.

Absolutely delighted to see Isidor get on the scoresheet.

I was talking at half time how the game needed him and when he hit the post from what looked like a sitter, I wondered if he would get another chance but when it came he slotted it home.

Great ball in from Habib Diarra, who looked very busy in the short time he was on the pitch.

I’m still puzzled as to why we persist with the short corner routine.

So often we go short and nothing comes of it, with the ball even ending up back with Robin Roefs on occasion.

Diarra coming on as sub, putting a fantastic ball in for the goal and then going off with what looked like a hamstring is a blow.

He looked very lively when he was introduced in the second half and I’d backed him to kick on this season. If he’s out for a few weeks, that’s a big setback.

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At Ipswich, our defence did not impress, with individual errors from Luke O’Nien and Omar Aldrete.

Dan Ballard did not look his normal self, but he was much more authoritative alongside Nordi Mukiele, who’s fit again and was outstanding.

With the home full backs looking solid, that part of our game was OK, which helped to repel Fulham.

Great deliveries from Enzo Le Fée and fellow sub Habib Diarra set up superb chances for attacking substitute Isidor.

He came so close with the first, hitting the post, but made no mistake with the second. What a great week for him, with his twenty sixth birthday, and a new long-term contract.

His goal was beautifully taken and relieved the tension at the Stadium of Light.

There was a general lack of goalmouth action in the game, with midfield play dominating.

The Fulham midfield impressed, but happily for home fans, their efforts were not reflected in shots on goal. I can’t recall Robin Roefs being seriously tested, unlike last week.

Three home defeats in 2026, in the context of a superb season on Sunderland, have still left their mark.

Getting this win was very important, but there was a palpable tension in the crowd, with a set of tough fixtures approaching. There are no easy games in this league, so patience is always required.

After the Ipswich loss and the 0-0 first half, I was a bit worried we may be struggling to get going this season, but the substitutes were indeed the ‘finishers’ and we deserved to narrowly win that.

Wilson Isidor should’ve had two and Romaine Mundle should have converted as well. 1-0 flattered Fulham, really 

They had zero shots on target and a week after we made two mistakes that gave away three points that was a cracking show at the back.

Nordi Mukiele was my man of the match and the way he played I can’t see him being moved from the centre back starting pair for some time. 

Gutted for Habib Diarra as he was amazing when he came on.

Hopefully he can be back to full strength very soon as game changers like him are needed for games like that, and we’ll have a good few.

That’s not the first time Brobbey has struggled against Fulham and although the service wasn’t great, the difference Wilson Isidor made when introduced showed we maybe went with the wrong striker to start.

There will be loads of games when Brobbey will win points but I do worry whether he’ll be more worked out this season, so we need to help him step his game up to get the best from him and best points for us.

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My first match and my first win — I can’t ask for much more than that.

About as dull a first half as two teams could possibly have, but I couldn’t have cared less. And Nordi Mukiele is going a long way toward becoming my all-time favorite Sunderland player. He’s just incredible.

The subs last week did nothing to improve the situation, but it couldn’t have been more different this time around.

Habib Diarra and Isidor provided exactly the energy and pace the match needed and got the winner. It’s too bad Diarra had to go off, because he was giving Fulham fits.

Until the substitutions, everything was just too slow.

Nilson Angulo continues to play too cautiously and for the second straight match, you’d hardly know Brian Brobbey and Trai Hume played.

It might be the tactics as much as the players, but this game just screamed, “Sign some wingers.”

I thought this might’ve been Sadiki’s worst match for Sunderland. He was also slow on the ball and didn’t have the same energy covering ground like he usually does.

He seems to be suffering a World Cup hangover.

The importance of Isidor showed today, and whilst he should have scored his first chance, he was in the right place again for the winner and won free kick after free kick to see the game out.

Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele again showed their pure quality and the team as a whole showed the defensive grit we built on last season.

The right wing conundrum seems to be ongoing.

Although Trai Hume and Thomas Meunier are great players in their own right, their partnership isn’t quite gelling at present.

Diarra limping off shortly after coming on and providing the assist for Isidor is hard to watch — a talented player who was thwarted by injuries last year might be repeating the process.

We’ll have to see what the damage is.

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We gained a win when it looked like a turgid draw.

Wilson Isidor proved he’s worth the contract.

Habib Diarra made the difference, changed the game and then got injured.

Nordi Mukiele was immense at centre back was incredibly impressed with his composure, ability to bring the ball out and his read of the game.

I’d rather have him here than at right back. Yes, his attacking threat is class too, but I’d put my faith in Thomas Meunier or Trai Hume.

I was desperate to make sure we didn’t let him go this summer even though he is an obvious number two. What he offers is so completely different to Brian Brobbey that it’s such an incredible asset.

Fulham weren’t being stretched by our wingers or any element of our attack and his runs in behind changed the game.

The wingers looked scared to take anyone on, Enzo Le Fée had no luck centrally and the ball to Brobbeys’s feet didn’t coming.

I firmly believe that regardless of the winger that’s there, they need to be an attacking threat first and not a second full back.

If there isn’t a clear threat we can’t handle at the back line, Regis Le Bris needs to let the handbrake off.

Le Fée is such an immensely talented player that I was almost disappointed to see him at his most effective once he moved to the left.

I’m not sure whether it’s a tactical issue with how the team is set up or whether the lack of threat from the wings limited himself, but he showed very little centrally.

I firmly believe we will see the best from Le Fée behind the striker, and it’s a shame to know the rest of our attacking threats can’t allow that.

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