Two Great Sunderland Sides…But Which Is Best?

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - APRIL 12: Sunderland's Nordi Mukiele celebrates scoring the opening goal with Enzo Le Fee and Reinildo Mandava during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur at Stadium of Light on April 12, 2026 in Sunderland, United Kingdom. (Photo by Lee Parker - CameraSport via Getty Images) | CameraSport via Getty Images

Joseph Tulip says…

Comparisons between two sides a quarter of a century apart are difficult because the game has changed in that time.

Peter Reid’s team, during two second tier seasons ahead of the 1999 promotion, was known for playing attractive, attacking football.

You could say it was possession-based in an era when most sides were playing a very direct, route-one style. Once we reached the Premier League, however, Reid adopted a more pragmatic style. With Lee Clark no longer pulling the strings in midfield, we became more direct and it was highly effective with both Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips up front.

We had some superb professionals in those teams around the turn of the century, with the likes of Michael Gray, Stefan Schwarz, Nicky Summerbee, Steve Bould, Stan Varga, Emerson Thome and others standing out. But football has evolved to a level where players have a more defined role — especially in midfield, where you no longer see box-to-box schemers, for example.

The game has also become more technical and I think our recruitment in 2025/2026 has taken us to a level which wouldn’t have seemed possible between 1999 and 2001.

We have several established internationals and players with Champions League experience, and their pedigree fits the requirements of the modern game where data is king. It’s a different footballing landscape now, but that’s not to underestimate the achievements of Reid’s side in finishing seventh twice.

Both sides are of their time and I feel blessed to be watching the likes of Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, Reinildo, Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, who are all on the same page with a great understanding of modern tactics and expectations.

Equally, Reid’s side — which also included the likes of Jody Craddock and Julio Arca — was well-drilled and arguably overachieved in a league where other clubs were spending way more money than we were at that time.

‘Reidy’s kings’ have been seen as the benchmark for decades. It’s great that, after several years in the footballing wilderness, we now have a side which is comparable.

Malc Dugdale says…

As a bloke that’s supported the Lads for over forty years, the class of 2000 was a huge peak in my Sunderland- supporting lifetime. It’s a bit early to compare this side to the peak Peter Reid era right now, but I’ll have a go.

We have hindsight with that millennial squad and none of that with this team as yet, but there are areas where I think they compare and contrast quite clearly.

In goal, I think we’ve found someone as good as Thomas Sorensen in Robin Roefs. Sorensen was twenty four around 2000, and Roefs is twenty three right now. I think developmentally, they’re in a similar place and if Roefs can go on to do what Sorensen did, we’re in for a huge treat between the sticks during the coming period.

In defence, I think our squad is potentially stronger than the crop of 2000, but only when they’re all fully fit.

The excitement I got when Emerson Thome, Jody Craddock (now a talented local artist) or Darren Williams went forward feels less than the attacking threat from Dan Ballard and company, and I haven’t felt as confident in a rearguard as this for a very long time — especially when we have corners to cover off or set pieces to defend.

Reinildo and Nordi Mukiele are as good a pairing as Michael Gray and company, and that’s high praise given what the likes of Julio Arca and Gray did for us back then, both in defence and supporting attacks.

In the middle, we have comparable skill and talent too.

Stefan Schwarz was the Granit Xhaka of that period, bringing experience and control as well as flair and a killer eye for a pass. The likes of Gavin McCann and Alex Rae brought steel, a bit of flair and goals — much like Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, but we didn’t have anyone quite like Enzo Le Fée back then. I think the present squad shades it in the midfield, especially given how young many of them are and the future development they’ll experience.

The only area I think we’re less capable pound for pound is up front.

The partnership between Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips is the stuff of real legend, and we’ve been massively blessed with Brian Brobbey, who only came in due to the late recall of Marc Guiu by Chelsea. As ‘sliding doors moments’ go, the recall by a club expecting to again push for the Champions League and trophies seems to have done way more for Sunderland than it has for Chelsea.

That said, we don’t have a second man up front who supports and empowers Brobbey the way we did with Quinn and Phillips. He needs support and despite the chances offered to Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor, that hasn’t come off

The results we’ve achieved so far without that supreme front two deserves recognition in itself, but it also shows that if we can find support for Brobbey in the summer window (and keep hold of him, as he’ll be hot property for sure), we could finish even higher than those two seventh-place positions we achieved back when I was a twenty-something.

The other key difference between the two periods is Régis Le Bris. When we hired him a while ago, I said he reminded me of Arsene Wenger as a young coach, with his calm manner, incredible man management, hard work and attention to detail.

Football management was a very different thing back then, but I don’t think we could be any better placed to get out of this squad the absolute very best we can. Peter Reid was the same, but in very different ways and at a different time. For me Le Bris can deliver what Reid didn’t, which is a real chance of competing in the top division and playing some kind of European football, if we can keep hold of him.

So on balance, I’m chuffed to say while we have no real gauge to measure by yet, the present squad is probably the best I’ve ever seen, and their ceiling is potentially higher than that the class of twenty five years ago.

Exciting times. Bring it on.

Mark Wood says…

Looking at the teams themselves, I’m going to split it between goalkeepers, defence and midfield, then wingers and attack.

Thomas Sorensen was top class and twenty five years later is still regarded as one of the best keepers we’ve ever had. Robin Roefs has also shown that he has everything you want in a keeper at this level: a great shot stopper, good handling and great distribution, and he commands his area. He’s also top class; there’s nothing to choose between them and I couldn’t call this one.

Defensively, I would say our present team is better, with outstanding performers like Nordi Mukiele, Reinildo, Dan Ballard and Omar Alderete, and in my opinion, any of them would get into Reid’s side.

I’d say that some of it is also down to the way we set up. You can back our present outfit to hold onto a lead and make it very difficult for the opposition to score, but Reid’s side, although they had some exceptional players at the back, wasn’t renowned for keeping clean sheets in the Premier League.

In midfield, Reid’s team had some great players that the crowd really took to: Alex Rae, Stefan Schwarz had a quality peg on him, Eric Roy (who I’d forgotten about) and Gavin McCann, who was getting in England squads.

Elsewhere, Kevin Ball really knew how to put in a tackle but he wasn’t around for too long after promotion. Then there was also Don Hutchison, who made a huge contribution for one season.

You can’t argue against the quality of Granit Xhaka and everything he brings to the team — and I wouldn’t swap Noah Sadiki for anybody. They would get into Reid’s team but you can argue that one or two from the 1999-2001 midfield could get in our present line up, so I’d say our present midfield just about shades it.

For wingers and strikers, I must say sorry to our present side, but Quinn, Phillips and one of my own favourites in Nicky Summerbee have this one.

Brian Brobbey is a complete handful for defenders but for sheer goal threat, you have to give it to Quinn and Phillips — not forgetting to mention that Quinn was a complete handful for opposition centre backs, albeit maybe in a slightly different way as he was so good in the air.

I loved Summerbee for his superb early pinpoint crossing that fed Quinn, and Brobbey would’ve loved to have had him on the wing. Again, maybe some of it’s down to how we are set up, with Le Bris’ Sunderland being a much more compact unit, but none of our present wingers have made the same kind of impact so far.

You have to give a mention to the managers too.

Reid and Bobby Saxton were two characters who just seemed to fit in Sunderland and Mickey Gray has said they would always have the team fired up, but tactically Le Bris undoubtedly has more know-how. It’s too early to call this I think as they both have their merits and we could end up finishing around the same place in the league this season.