It's been another eventful week in a Sunderland shirt for Wilson Isidor!
01/27/2025 01:00 AM
The on-loan striker's goal against Plymouth was much-needed after his recent efforts, and he continues to make a hugely positive impression for the Lads, writes Phil West
Over the years, Sunderland strikers have provided us with an abundance of memorable moments and iconic images, and often in differing circumstances and against opponents of contrasting class.
From Fabio Borini and Jermain Defoe wheeling away in celebration after scoring against Newcastle to Ross Stewart taking in the adulation of the fans after crucial playoff goals against Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe Wanderers, there have been plenty of shots for the highlight reels and it's fair to say that Wilson Isidor is doing his best to elevate himself into that company.
What a week it's been for the popular Frenchman.
The image of a crestfallen Isidor at Turf Moor, ashen-faced after being foiled not once but twice from the penalty spot by James Trafford was one that encapsulated all the madness of the game.
In the aftermath, we all had the same questions. How would he respond? Was this a blow that he would struggle to recover from?
The response of the fans in Lancashire and his teammates suggested that wouldn't be the case, and the frankly ridiculous debate about whether he should be banished from penalty duties (on that, the next time we're awarded one, I hope he's nearby, ready and willing) was an unwelcome sideshow.
Then it was on to Pride Park and an enthusiastic, perhaps overly exuberant performance from Isidor that should've been capped by a goal as he crashed the ball in off the Derby crossbar following good work from Enzo Le Fée — that is until another incompetent EFL officiating crew decided to stick their oars in.
Was it the interference of a rogue blade of grass that persuaded the officials to rule the goal out? Was it an offside call of the kind that no rule book defines, or were they simply guilty of a good old-fashioned cock up?
In any case, Isidor was scammed out of a perfectly good goal, one that his display deserved, and when you factor in the missed chance from open play against Burnley after a superb pass from Le Fée, his recent goal tally could've been bolstered significantly.
However, he wasn't to be denied on Saturday, netting Sunderland's equaliser with a deft finish during what turned out to be a frustrating draw with struggling Plymouth Argyle.
The reception he got from the fans before the game was raucous; his celebrations for the goal greeted similarly. Everyone inside the Stadium of Light on Saturday believed in Isidor, and that's more than good enough.
The simple fact of the matter is that he's the kind of player who doesn't pass this way very often, but whom everyone swings behind when they do.
He's box office. He's unpredictable. He's easy to like, and he has a capacity for the brilliant and the frustrating. This is a tradeoff that, in my opinion, is absolutely worth accepting.
If you believe that football — for all its cold, cynical ways — should also contain a healthy dollop of entertainment value, you're rarely left feeling short changed as far as he's concerned.
His smart finish against Argyle, which was followed shortly afterwards by what should've been the winner from Trai Hume, was the mark of a striker whose ability to recover from knockbacks is as strong as his ability to gain a yard or so on his marker.
Much like his ridiculous flicked finish against Coventry and the audacious backheel at Ewood Park, it was a goal that didn't contribute towards a win, but he upheld his end of the bargain and then some.
Largely isolated and not given a great deal of service as part of a rejigged team on Saturday, Isidor worked very hard nevertheless.
A sum total of one pass completed and one goal scored (efficiency personified, you might say) was quite something, but hopefully Régis Le Bris pays heed to what went wrong and Isidor will find himself more involved during next week's trip to Middlesbrough.
The upshot is that Isidor clearly hasn't been crushed by the chaos of Turf Moor and nor has he demonstrated the kind of half-baked reaction to a setback that far too many Sunderland players have done over the years.
Instead, he did what we all wanted to see: what he does best, delivering when it mattered and getting us on level terms.
Saturday might've narrowed our margin for error in the race for automatic promotion, but it provided even more evidence that in Isidor, we have a striker perfectly suited to Sunderland: resilient, committed to the cause, and not afraid to stand tall in the wake of the challenges he's faced.
That's something that should never be downplayed or undervalued, and bringing him to the club represents a major success for the recruitment team.
