Both Sunderland and Rotherham entered matchday three of the EFL Championship having endured underwhelming results at the start of their respective seasons. Sunderland, the home side, played with more attacking impetus, controlling large parts of this fixture and dominating possession from their fluid 4-2-3-1 shape. Rotherham pacified Sunderland in places, setting up in an aggressive 4-1-4-1 mid-block, and took the lead in the first half, capitalising on some poor tracking from Sunderland’s midfielders. However, Sunderland remained committed to their approach, with Jobe Bellingham quickly equalising and then grabbing a second to win the game 2-1.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Jobe Bellingham
- Nationality: English
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 23/09/2005
- Club: Sunderland
- Career: Birmingham City (Y), Birmingham City
- Position: Attacking Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Jobe Bellingham has made a promising start to his Sunderland career. Following a switch from boyhood club Birmingham City, Bellingham, who just turned 18, has started in all five of the Black Cats’ league games.
Despite possessing a profile that aligns most closely with an attacking midfield role, he was frequently his side’s most advanced player. For much of the first half, Bellingham’s responsibilities fluctuated between those of a centre forward and an attacking midfielder, as he rotated fluidly with teammate Bradley Dack. However, as the match progressed the 17-year-old assumed a more fixed centre forward position.
For someone so young, Bellingham’s physical profile is immediately striking. He stands at around 191cm tall, and has already started to fill out his frame. The England U19 international used his body effectively in this match, which resulted in numerous instances of positive back to goal play. By spreading his weight and keeping a low centre of gravity, he was solid enough to absorb impact from opponents.
What made him especially valuable in these passages, however, was his ability to link play. With a sharp appreciation of his teammates’ movements, Bellingham’s execution of short lay-offs under pressure was consistently good. The weighting, timing and accuracy of these passes allowed his teammates to be immediately positive with their first action.
The perceptive qualities on display here were also apparent in Bellingham’s off-ball movement. His movement was varied throughout: there were examples of stretching in behind, dropping off the last line and attacking the seam which opened up space for both himself and his teammates. These movements were augmented by some promising flashes of technique, as Bellingham often timed these runs well and showed an understanding of how to utilise double movements.
There are some caveats to this upside, which is to be expected of a player yet to turn 18. For example, some lapses of concentration resulted in the teenager occasionally appearing too static in his movement. Additionally, in early stages of the game, when Bellingham was given more positional flexibility, he was too impatient when Sunderland were in the first and second phases of their buildup. He dropped too deep too often, clogging up space as a result, perhaps explaining why his role was altered.
After being instructed to play a more traditional centre forward role, Bellingham’s tendencies as a box threat became clearer. He consistently located dangerous positions in the box, which enabled the two ‘right place, right time’ goals he scored in this fixture. However, he didn’t seem especially comfortable operating on the last line; instead Bellingham appeared to thrive when arriving into the box after the defensive line had already been forced back. He was strong in these positions: along with sound timing and anticipation, his frequent willingness to gamble on these runs was also notable.
Despite a reasonable proportion of Bellingham’s value in this fixture coming from his off-ball movement, he was still able to show signs of a solid technical base. Perhaps most eye-catching was his comfort when turning on the ball under pressure. He’s a disciplined scanner, enabling well-judged decisions on whether to receive on the turn or remain ball-facing.
When opposition pressure forced Bellingham into receiving squarely, his ability to take a secure first touch and neatly turn using either foot allowed him to capitalise on positional errors, as he wheeled away from opponents who, in their effort to apply pressure, left openings available to exploit. Relative to his stature, he showed a fairly tight turning radius, which was aided further by how quickly he recognised potential openings. These attributes allowed Bellingham to disrupt Rotherham’s defensive structure on a number of occasions. He didn’t overcomplicate his subsequent actions, generally preferring a short carry or a simple pass that maintained the flow of the attack.
Rating – A2
Bellingham’s summer transfer to Sunderland looks to be well judged for both parties. He has joined an a side who are on a upward trajectory and have a well structured, youth-first strategy. Whilst Bellingham has a clear pathway to first team football without being overly relied upon, Sunderland have an opportunity to nurture a well-rounded talent, capable of growing with the side as they attempt to win promotion and establish themselves in the Premier League.
Target Scouting 