When he scored a sumptuous goal during Sunderland’s League Cup victory over Hull City, running the length of the field before unleashing a beautifully weighted chip that dropped into the net in an almost inch-perfect manner, was there a Lads fan anywhere who would have felt anything other than elated for Chemsdine Talbi?
The Moroccan winger was at the heart of some of Sunderland’s most memorable moments last season – from scoring the winner at Stamford Bridge to lashing a long-ranger past Martin Dúbravka and, of course, hauling us back onto level terms against Newcastle at St James’ Park before heading west and enjoying a positive World Cup campaign in the United States.
However, during the summer, it became obvious that all was not well, and even after the European transfer window closed, it seemed like the prospect of Talbi leaving Sunderland was a very real one, with rumoured interest from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, whose windows remained open for longer.
As it turned out, no fee was agreed, Talbi didn’t depart, and he remains a Sunderland player – albeit perhaps in name only, because at this stage, the chances of him making any meaningful contributions appear remote, and the fact that he’s out of contention for our Europa League campaign doesn’t help either.
Now, I’m well aware that a player who spends a great deal of time on the sidelines often becomes far better in the eyes of the fans, and that we often pin our hopes on them providing “the answer” if and when they finally get onto the pitch.
I remember spending a great deal of time calling for Pierre Ekwah to be given more opportunities during the 2022/2023 season, for example – and perhaps naively so – but I’m struggling to understand the lack of trust being placed in Talbi, the lack of willingness to give him minutes on the pitch, and what kind of an impact this may be having on him.
In my view, his quality is in no doubt, his potential to affect games at this level is substantial, and from a player who seemed to be ready to take his game to a new level this season, the opposite seems to have happened, with Régis Le Bris favouring alternatives on the wings.
To be frank, this all feels somewhat self-defeating. And potentially risky. And with no real upsides for anyone involved.
During Saturday’s encounter with Brighton, the situation was made even more complex by the periodic chanting of Talbi’s name as we slipped to a 0-2 home defeat. For the players who find themselves ahead of Talbi in the pecking order, including Nilson Angulo, it probably wasn’t an ideal position in which to find themselves, and for Le Bris, it was a stark reminder that not every decision he takes will be popular with the fans.
During such times, we often spitball theories as to what could be going on: “Is he training poorly?”, “Is his attitude not quite right?” and so on. However, the confines of the Sunderland dressing room are closely guarded, and Le Bris is hardly likely to suddenly open up and reveal the secrets of what’s going on and the nature of his interactions with Talbi.
We’re the fans. He’s the boss, and that’s it. But with such an asset currently kicking his heels instead of playing a key role, how long can such a situation persist before we reach a tipping point? Is our attack potent enough to justify overlooking such a talented player for reasons that could surely be ironed out behind closed doors? I’m just not convinced at this stage.
Under Le Bris, the good ship Sunderland AFC has been stable, unified and generally drama-free, but perhaps the demands of Premier League football are beginning to take a toll, and not everyone is reacting in the way the Frenchman would like.
That’s nothing new. It happens all the time at other clubs, but all that matters are performances and results, and we cannot allow any underlying tension or disagreements to have a detrimental effect.
From afar, it’s hard to criticize the approach to man management that’s been taken by Le Bris since he arrived at Sunderland in 2024. Countless players have responded to his approach and improved enormously as a result, but in Talbi’s case, it seems as though something has gone slightly awry — which, for such a talented player, is a real shame.
Is this only heading one way? It’s fifty-fifty, in my view, but I did find Le Bris’ recent reference to Tommy Watson somewhat intriguing and if Talbi can go from fringe figure to goalscoring, history-making hero as the homegrown winger did at Wembley in 2025, it would be quite the story. He certainly has the talent, but the desire to fight for a chance and to showcase his ability has to come from within.
I want Talbi to retain his focus, to fire himself up and do everything in his power to earn Le Bris’ trust, and I hope that the head coach is willing to reciprocate in kind.
When a talented player and a talented head coach don’t see eye to eye and diverge in their opinions on the game, there’s always the potential for fireworks, but the good of the club simply has to come first and I hope that behind the scenes, moves are being made to thrash out a solution.