Brian Brobbey has made three substitute appearances for Sunderland since joining them from Ajax on summer deadline day.
The striker didn’t feature for the Dutch club in August before moving to the Stadium of Light. He left the Netherlands with a lot of negativity behind him, and the local media almost celebrated when a destination, Sunderland, emerged.
Former Ajax manager John van ‘t Schip has raised concern over the Sunderland summer signing’s fitness. He’s been speaking to Rondo about the 23-year-old and Ajax Showtime have relayed his comments.
The Eredivisie side started the 2023/24 season with Maurice Steijn as their manager and released him in October 2023. They appointed Van ‘t Schip as his successor, and he was in charge until the end of that season.
Brobbey played 28 matches under Van ‘t Schip’s orders, scoring 15 times and registering 10 assists. That was almost certainly the Sunderland player’s best spell so far.
Ajax Showtime point out Van ‘t Schip was the last Ajax manager to get the ‘best out’ of the frontman.
Sunderland player needs to avoid the weights
When asked how he achieved it, he said: “In the first phase, he was fit. The only thing I told him, because he’s very strong with the ball and holding off opponents, was that he needed to vary his play much more.
“He found a good balance in that. There was a good period, and I think he scored eighteen goals in all the matches I was there. He was also named Ajax Player of the Year.”
The current Sunderland player picked up a hamstring injury towards the end of Van ‘t Schip’s spell. The latter has now spoke about concern over Brobbey’s fitness.
“Only in the last three or four months did he have constant complaints. He could play for thirty minutes, then not, then sixty minutes. He’s a bit vulnerable physically, that’s the only downside,” Van ‘t Schip explained.
Van ‘t Schip is of the belief the Netherlands international’s physical strength is hindering him.
“Yes, that’s possible. You shouldn’t take him to the weight room. He has strength, but I think it’s more about his muscle structure and flexibility. He has so much power that things sometimes go wrong for him,” he added.
Unfortunately, Brian Brobbey has largely become a figure of ridicule for the Dutch media by the time of the Sunderland move. The transfer was grasped as a bonus for Ajax, and now it’s time for the player to prove everyone wrong.
