Andy Thompson says…
It’s a really good question.
They all have a case to start on the weekend but I think ultimately Régis Le Bris will opt for Trai Hume.
He’s trusted with his work rate and has played there during pre-season which indicates this has been in his thinking for some time. Chris Rigg has all the foundations in place to kick on this season but will need to be patient for his chance to start so it’s really only Nilson Angulo that could get the nod ahead of Hume.
Angulo excites me massively.
We saw a snippet of what he’s capable of at the World Cup with his well-taken goal against Germany. He’s a natural winger and that could give him the edge but I think Le Bris will go with what’s trusted in the first game of a new season, so it’s Hume for me.
Lee Morrison says…
I feel like a big part of the decision is going to depend upon the fitness of Thomas Meunier and Nordi Mukiele.
I wouldn’t be expecting Mukiele to be fit enough to start, but it we see Meunier at right back, I’d like to think that Trai Hume will be starting on the right wing against Ipswich.
We’ve seen over the course of pre-season that Hume has added some composure to his game.
Alongside this, it’s clear that Régis Le Bris is a big fan of Hume and the endeavour and relentless commitment he brings. We also shouldn’t forget the fantastic goal against Chelsea that helped secure European football — I’d be more than happy to see him score a similar goal on Saturday!
That said, if Meunier isn’t fully fit, I’d expect to see Hume at right back, opening up the debate again.
The approach against Rennes, for me, was the perfect one: Nilson Angulo to start following an impressive World Cup campaign, and Chris Rigg to come on against a tiring full back.
Both players deserve their chance and will be crucial over a long campaign. As a natural winger, that gives Angulo the edge over Rigg for me at the moment. Instead, I’d like to see Rigg being used more centrally, where he can demonstrate his ability to dictate a game.
Regardless, it’s a brilliant situation to be in. We have competition for places and it’s really a case of fine margins.
Martin Wanless says…
If it was a straight three-way battle for the right wing spot, it’d be Trai Hume for sure.
People get their knickers in a twist about Hume playing there, and it absolutely baffles me. He’s exceptionally good at the role that Régis Le Bris wants him to play. Tactically, he’s brilliant and creates space for others to play.
If he doesn’t fit your definition of what a right winger should bring to the team, that’s kind of on you, not Hume – it’s a team game, and Hume’s the ultimate team player. Not to mention the most important thing of all – Le Bris, who we consistently praise for his tactical nous, chooses to play him there. He evidently fits Le Bris’ definition of what he wants a right winger to do in certain games, and I’m very happy to go along with that.
However…(!) given neither Thomas Meunier nor Nordi Mukiele played at the weekend, it’ll surely be Chris Rigg. Rigg’s had a Jobe-esque pre-season, has come back looking like a man rather than a boy, and seems to have that determination to win a regular spot.
Long term, he’ll play centrally, but this season we’ll see him on the right more – he showed in the latter stages of last season he can play there, and was excellent in the game at the Landfill. His pre- season games have been excellent, and his delivery into the box superb.
If it’d been a home game, I think Angulo would get the shout – away from home I think he’ll be used as an impact sub when the game’s a little more stretched in the second half, so look out for him replacing Riggy with twenty minutes or so left.
But Rigg should start and while injuries have maybe opened up the opportunity for him, it’s one he thoroughly deserves. And he’ll take it, too.
Phil West says…
I think it’ll be Trai Hume and although I do still hold out hope of Sunderland adding a high-class, assist-producing ‘orthodox’ right winger to the ranks before the window closes (it’s very important that we do so, in my view), Martin’s point about Hume’s versatility, wholehearted approach and team ethic is inarguable — particularly during what could be a slightly tricky opening-day assignment down in Suffolk.
Chris Rigg is an elite talent whose time is coming and will arrive in spectacular fashion, and it’s obvious that Régis Le Bris understands just how good he is and how big a role he’ll play this season.
There’s nothing to be concerned about there, whereas the talented if slightly raw Nilson Angulo most certainly represents an excellent late-game option, with his pace and direct style of play capable of giving opposing full backs all kinds of issues.
However, I expect Hume to be given the nod against Ipswich and I would have no complaints about that.
In Le Bris’ system, players with the ability and willingness to push themselves outside of their theoretical comfort zone and to stretch themselves for the good of the team are worth their weight in gold, and that’s exactly what Hume has done in his ‘hybrid’ role.
Hand on heart, I do prefer him as a hard-tackling, hard-running full back but Le Bris sees it differently and that’s where the trust element comes in. And if we get the result and the system works as it should, that’s all that matters.
If this works out as I expect when the team sheet is published, I’m sure there’ll be a good deal of chuntering about it, but it’s important to remember that Hume hasn’t let us down. In fact, on a pound-for-pound basis, I’d argue that he’s one of our greatest signings of modern times and the fact he remains such a key figure tells a story in itself.
We should have enough to win this game wherever he plays, and let’s be honest: Angulo and Rigg are two damn good alternatives, so I think we’re in decent shape.
Tom Albrighton says…
Given Régis Le Bris has started Trai Hume at right wing almost exclusively during pre-season, the logical deduction would be to assume that will be continued into our first game.
Whilst many are still on the fence about Hume, as time passes his role on Sunderland’s right hand side becomes ever clearer, so whilst he may read on the team sheet as a right winger, it isn’t quite as straightforward.
However, there may be a snag ahead if both Mukiele and Meunier fail to regain fitness for Saturday, which would leave Le Bris with a minor headache, and at that point, I’d opt for Chris Rigg.
Rigg is a player who grew in confidence and ability last season as well as really showing his worth out wide with brilliant performances against Newcastle and Aston Villa towards the back end of the season.
One thing this squad has in abundance is flexibility so whether it’s Rigg, Hume, Angulo or someone else entirely, you’d expect it to work out nicely.
John Wade says…
Trai Hume is the first choice for me.
He allows either Nordi Mukiele or Thomas Meunier the cover to get on the overlap and I like that interchange between defence and attack. It’ll confuse the Ipswich defensive set up and he’s also shown he’s made great strides in his own attacking play.
Chris Rigg doesn’t deserve to miss out unfortunately but impact-wise, both he and Nilson Angulo have shown they change the dynamic coming on from the bench.