Hibs are wanting to sign him permanently ...
... I can remember a recent time when we couldn't give our players away
International Break Thread
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Hibs are wanting to sign him permanently ...
... I can remember a recent time when we couldn't give our players away
Think he was in like for an under 18s call up but only just coming back from injury probably hampered that.
Dunno if this has been posted elsewhere
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Could be key for us in the run-in. I'd definitely be starting him in the picket behind the striker, time to bed in there and hit the playoffs with a proper creative midfielder.
Showing my ignorance here, but a genuine question.
Did RLB play ELF as an attacking midfielder in France?
I thought ELF had some licence to get up and down the pitch but wasn't specifically a second striker or out and out attacking midfielder. I'm not sure why I'm thinking that mind, it's just something at the back of my mind.
Did RLB play ELF as an attacking midfielder in France?
I thought ELF had some licence to get up and down the pitch but wasn't specifically a second striker or out and out attacking midfielder. I'm not sure why I'm thinking that mind, it's just something at the back of my mind.
Played predominantly centrally for Rennais in 23/24 looking at Transfermkt with only 1 appearance on LW.
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Also played as either CM or DM for Roma.
Thank you.
I should really just have done the research myself but hoped someone on here would have it at their fingertips. Or to put it another way I was just too bloody lazy.
When fit, do we play ELF in the Rigg role?
Or a little deeper.
We need his quality but fitting him into his best position may not be easy.
I'm pleased that RLB has that problem and I'm sure it's given him a few sleepless nights trying to work it out. It's going to be interesting.
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The lads
Bollocks to all that scraping up via the top two malarkey ...
... lets go nuts at Wembley and score some more classic goals.
Imagine a Rigg back heel or an Isidor run from the edge of our penalty area
Cirkin out of England u21 squad
https://x.com/sunderlandafc11/status/1902679845932261828?t=4_UuN9OMo8U_Tiht9rJNtw&s=19
https://x.com/sunderlandafc11/status/1902679845932261828?t=4_UuN9OMo8U_Tiht9rJNtw&s=19
I’m pleased about that, let’s just get everyone as fit as possible for Wembley.
Chris Mepham senses the ability to win promotion in Sunderland team
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...senses-ability-win-promotion-sunderland-team/
CHRIS MEPHAM knows what it takes to win promotion from the Championship. In the 2021-22 season, the defender was part of the Bournemouth squad that made it to the Premier League as they finished second behind Fulham. Reasonably strongly fancied after missing out in the play-offs in the previous campaign, the Cherries withstood the pressure that was piled on their shoulders to successfully reach the Premier League.
Looking back, that Bournemouth side, under the tutelage of Scott Parker, was too good for the second tier. Lloyd Kelly, now of Juventus, played with the experienced Gary Cahill at the back. Philip Billing, now of Napoli, partnered Jefferson Lerma, now with Crystal Palace, at the heart of midfield. Dominic Solanke, who will hope to be involved with England tonight, finished the season with 29 league goals.
Mepham made 22 appearances at centre-half, and when he casts his eye over the Sunderland squad he now finds himself part of, the 27-year-old can see similarities to the Bournemouth team that enjoyed promotion success....
“Fortunately, I was in a promotion team at Bournemouth,” said Mepham. “And there’s similarities, for sure, in terms of the character and individual brilliance in that team. We had people like Philip Billing, Dom Solankie, real special players, and this team's full of them – Riggy (Chris Rigg), Jobe (Bellingham), Wilson (Isidor), Eli (Mayenda), the list goes on.
“So, yeah, we’ve definitely got all the ingredients there. Ultimately, we just need to manage the momentum and make sure that we keep the right lads that aren’t getting the minutes they probably feel like they need because, at any given point, they can be so important. Hopefully, we’re in a really good place come the end of the season.”
“We’ve got eight games left, and hopefully we can get as many points as possible and put ourselves in a position where we're in a really good place,” he said. “If it isn't automatics, and it is the play-offs, then we've got to have momentum heading into that and I’m sure the rest will look after itself.”
In the season before they won promotion, Bournemouth lost to Brentford in the play-off semi-finals with Mepham featuring in both games. He came off the bench as the Cherries won the first leg of their semi at home, but was then sent off for hauling down Bryan Mbeumo as they lost 3-1 in the return game at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Sunderland boast a number of players with play-off experience – the likes of Anthony Patterson, Trai Hume, Luke O’Nien, Dan Neil and Patrick Roberts were all involved in the semi-final defeat to Luton Town two seasons ago – but their squad is perhaps lacking when it comes to older heads and leaders. Mepham, despite only being on loan from Bournemouth, ticks both boxes.
“Hopefully, I can help keep everyone really level and grounded, and use my experiences, good and bad,” said the centre-half. “I’ve had good moments where I obviously got promoted with Bournemouth, and then a not-so-good moment where in a play-off game I got sent off.
“So, like I said, hopefully I can use those experiences to help, not just myself, but to help the team more importantly.”
And if things were to go to plan over the course of the next two months, how could Mepham see Sunderland faring in the Premier League?
“Could Sunderland’s players step up to the Premier League? For sure,” he said. “I think, not over a couple of games, but over the course of a long season, they've shown their quality, week in, week out. I think the names I mentioned, along with many others in the team, could definitely get to that level.
“I think, at this stage, it's about consistency and staying level, Whether you win two games or lose two games, you have to stay quite neutral. Don’t get too high and don't get too low. I think that's really important now.”
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https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...senses-ability-win-promotion-sunderland-team/
CHRIS MEPHAM knows what it takes to win promotion from the Championship. In the 2021-22 season, the defender was part of the Bournemouth squad that made it to the Premier League as they finished second behind Fulham. Reasonably strongly fancied after missing out in the play-offs in the previous campaign, the Cherries withstood the pressure that was piled on their shoulders to successfully reach the Premier League.
Looking back, that Bournemouth side, under the tutelage of Scott Parker, was too good for the second tier. Lloyd Kelly, now of Juventus, played with the experienced Gary Cahill at the back. Philip Billing, now of Napoli, partnered Jefferson Lerma, now with Crystal Palace, at the heart of midfield. Dominic Solanke, who will hope to be involved with England tonight, finished the season with 29 league goals.
Mepham made 22 appearances at centre-half, and when he casts his eye over the Sunderland squad he now finds himself part of, the 27-year-old can see similarities to the Bournemouth team that enjoyed promotion success....
“Fortunately, I was in a promotion team at Bournemouth,” said Mepham. “And there’s similarities, for sure, in terms of the character and individual brilliance in that team. We had people like Philip Billing, Dom Solankie, real special players, and this team's full of them – Riggy (Chris Rigg), Jobe (Bellingham), Wilson (Isidor), Eli (Mayenda), the list goes on.
“So, yeah, we’ve definitely got all the ingredients there. Ultimately, we just need to manage the momentum and make sure that we keep the right lads that aren’t getting the minutes they probably feel like they need because, at any given point, they can be so important. Hopefully, we’re in a really good place come the end of the season.”
“We’ve got eight games left, and hopefully we can get as many points as possible and put ourselves in a position where we're in a really good place,” he said. “If it isn't automatics, and it is the play-offs, then we've got to have momentum heading into that and I’m sure the rest will look after itself.”
In the season before they won promotion, Bournemouth lost to Brentford in the play-off semi-finals with Mepham featuring in both games. He came off the bench as the Cherries won the first leg of their semi at home, but was then sent off for hauling down Bryan Mbeumo as they lost 3-1 in the return game at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Sunderland boast a number of players with play-off experience – the likes of Anthony Patterson, Trai Hume, Luke O’Nien, Dan Neil and Patrick Roberts were all involved in the semi-final defeat to Luton Town two seasons ago – but their squad is perhaps lacking when it comes to older heads and leaders. Mepham, despite only being on loan from Bournemouth, ticks both boxes.
“Hopefully, I can help keep everyone really level and grounded, and use my experiences, good and bad,” said the centre-half. “I’ve had good moments where I obviously got promoted with Bournemouth, and then a not-so-good moment where in a play-off game I got sent off.
“So, like I said, hopefully I can use those experiences to help, not just myself, but to help the team more importantly.”
And if things were to go to plan over the course of the next two months, how could Mepham see Sunderland faring in the Premier League?
“Could Sunderland’s players step up to the Premier League? For sure,” he said. “I think, not over a couple of games, but over the course of a long season, they've shown their quality, week in, week out. I think the names I mentioned, along with many others in the team, could definitely get to that level.
“I think, at this stage, it's about consistency and staying level, Whether you win two games or lose two games, you have to stay quite neutral. Don’t get too high and don't get too low. I think that's really important now.”
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Jobe on the bench for u21s. That's some squad.
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Mayenda came on in the 2nd half in Spains u21 2-2 draw with Czech Republic.
Matty young started in a 1-1 draw with Portugal too
Hume started in Northern Irelands friendly against Switzerland. 1-1 at HT