​Sunderland’s French head coach Regis Le Bris looks on ahead of the friendly football match between RC Lens and AFC Sunderland at the Bollaert-Delelis Stadium in Lens, northern France, on August 8, 2026. (Photo by Sameer Al-DOUMY / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Bright debut for MeunierFirst of all, as highlighted pretty much every time we’ve spoken about him on the pod, what a specimen of a man. He’s turning 35 in September but popped up all over the pitch in a very bright 45 minutes on his Sunderland debut. He’d press high alongside Hume on the right, chase runners and loose balls across the pitch, and bombed down the wing all half.I think this was a very bright debut. He showed his footballing intelligence throughout the half and linked up well with both Trai Hume and Enzo Le Fée, looking like a man who has been at the club far longer than five days. Just on the stroke of half-time, he thought he had opened his account with a debut goal too. Reinildo and Nilson Angulo linked up nicely on the left wing before the latter laid the ball off to Granit Xhaka for a typical deep, first-time cross on his left foot, in which Meunier continued his run deep and nodded home well, but Angulo was correctly adjudged offside in the build-up.Régis Le Bris confirmed in his post-match interview on the club’s socials that both Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele carry minor injuries and “should be available for the beginning of the season”. If not, I have no doubts Meunier will be able to step in at right-back and perform well.Hume – Sunderland’s right winger?There has been quite a debate on Sunderland socials since Trai Hume started playing on the right wing last season. Is it his role? Is he ineffective in attacking areas? Will he contribute in the same way a natural right winger would? Well, for me, he was our main attacking threat.When Hume plays on the wing, he isn’t really a right winger. One of the reasons why we signed Meunier in the summer over Lutsharel Geertruida (apart from the obvious) is that he is a very accomplished attacking full-back, akin to Mukiele. Hume then naturally drifts inside, like he does when he plays in defence. He adds a different dimension that allows us to overload midfield and aided today specifically in how we dominated midfield and dictated the tempo of the match, despite playing a Champions League team abroad.But far more than that, he also proved today his attacking instincts. He headed in the opener with a great poacher’s finish that Wilson Isidor himself would be proud of. The cross came from the near side, towards the near post where he is backpedalling, looking away from both his marker and the goal, yet still had the time to scan the goal, determine his position and then do well to head through the ball using his neck muscles to shift the direction of the ball entirely back towards the near post. Even before this, if not for an awkward bounce, Hume could have easily opened the scoring earlie