At the end of last season, as it became clear Enzo Le Fée was best in the centre of the park, and our right-wing options were, well, not right wings, I argued many times that the best way to get all of the club's best players on the pitch at one time was a back five.
Something akin to this.
At the start of this new year, I'm not as convinced a back five is Sunderland's best line-up, but the signings of Thomas Meunier and Dayann Méthalie do have me convinced it is something we're going to see – and see be successful – this season.
The Black Cats started in a back five (or, if you prefer, three at the back) five times last season, at Chelsea, Everton, Arsenal, Fulham and Manchester City, and secured five points.
I don't think there were too many at the time who begrudged Régis Le Bris' tactics against the "World Champions", the eventual Premier League champions and City, but there were rumblings during the Everton draw and full-on shouting after losing 1-0 to Fulham.
Anytime I argued for a back five the rest of the season, I was continually shot down with "it's too defensive", and references back to the lack of attack at Fulham – yet, although I don't think I was wrong then, this isn't last year's back five.
In the first four matches, the line-up was Hume, Nordi Mukiele, Dan Ballard, Lutsharel Geertruida and Reinildo, and Mukiele, Geertruida, Ballard, Omar Alderete and Hume in the fifth.
I like what Hume brings to the line-up, and I love his versatility, but he's not a left-back (or a left wing-back) and he's not Mukiele. He's also not Thomas Meunier.
There's an argument (one I endorse wholeheartedly) that Mukiele is not only our best right-back, but also Sunderland's best centre-back. Combining Mukiele and Meunier on the right side is the closest approximation to Mukiele playing both positions. It can just as easily be done in a back four as a five, but a five should give Mukiele a little more licence to still be involved in the attack.
On the other side, I love Reinildo, but Méthalie is twelve years younger and seemingly more dynamic offensively.
It's pretty easy to argue the Mozambican's numbers skew more defensive than Méthalie's because Le Bris held him back to provide cover while Mukiele was given the freedom to roam. And Reinildo has shown – including in the final pre-season match against Rennes – that he has the ability to contribute offensively.
That said, there's hardly an attacking category – both raw and underlying – where Méthalie doesn't outshine his new teammate, including contributing two goals and an assist a year ago for Toulouse.
A Méthalie-Alderete-Ballard-Mukiele-Meunier back line provides dynamic attacking width while allowing the club's three best centre-backs to share the field at the same time. Xhaka and Noah Sadiki are still available to screen the three-man defence, and it keeps Le Fée on the field at the same time, both in a more central position to combine with Brian Brobbey. As the roster stands now, Diarra, Chris Rigg, Isidor or even Hume are options to take the other "central" role.
From a set-piece perspective, Xhaka and Le Fée would be able to take aim at five players who are all physical units, ranging from 1.88 metres (Méthalie) to 1.91 metres, and Brobbey.
Additionally, the formation allows for multiple iterations depending on the opponent, and whether defence or attack is paramount in that match. Méthalie, Reinildo, Mukiele, Meunier, Hume and Luke O'Nien can all play outside or inside. Chemsdine Talbi and Nilson Angulo have also both played as wing-backs in the past.
Let's be honest: I anticipate the Black Cats will still sign an impact winger or two, and will most likely play in Le Bris' preferred back four with the wings inverted. Méthalie and Meunier are still an option if Le Bris wants to press the gas, and the flexibility remains.
KLD, Ghisolfi and Le Bris have built a squad full of players who can and have played multiple positions, providing a myriad of options for the head coach. A new and improved back five is just one more arrow in the quiver as the Black Cats claw their way to new heights.
