Sunderland star Brian Brobbey’s personal coach Patrick Woerst has explained why the player’s continued progress in the Premier League isn’t only down to improved fitness.
Last summer, the striker joined the Black Cats from Ajax. He had a difficult start to his life in England, and the Dutch media blamed his fitness for it.
However, the 24-year-old turned things around and finished his debut season with seven goals and an assist.
His displays for Sunderland helped him return to the Netherlands squad and he represented them at the World Cup, scoring three goals in the tournament. Brobbey has three goals from five league matches so far this season.
Personal coach’s big impact on Sunderland player
In March, Patrick Woerst explained how he helped the striker change his game, and that in return benefited Sunderland and the national team.
He has now given a fresh interview to ESPN NL. The personal coach said minor tweaks has a major impact on Brian Brobbey’s game.
“Brian hasn’t necessarily become fitter or stronger. People see it as extra fitness, or that he is stronger or more mature, but he has also started playing much more efficiently. For instance, he gets into tackles much less often,” he said.
The coach points out what he does at Sunderland when compared to the same situation at Ajax.
Woerst explained: “When he received a ball, during his time at Ajax, it was very often from a standstill. Then he would stop the ball and hang back. That puts you in a fight, because those defenders grab you and you hang back and wrestle. That takes a lot of energy every time.”
“His first touch is now in motion, for example, allowing him to dribble away from the opponent and stand free. Then he passes the ball and chooses his position again. Or he drops it in one go and keeps running.”
“As a result, he gets into those ground battles less often, and that costs less energy. Because of that, it looks like he is fitter. Of course, he can keep it up longer: it simply costs him less energy.”
At Ajax, the Netherlands international generally stood in front of the opposition centre-back. This made it difficult for him to get past the defender regularly and made it more difficult to score.
| Every Sunderland signing 26/27 | Previous Club | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Malick Fofana | Lyon | £26m |
| Dayann Méthalie | Toulouse | £24m |
| Jules Ahoka | Royal Antwerp | £8.6m |
| Juan Riquelme Angulo | Independiente del Valle | £5m |
| Kevin Danso | Tottenham Hotspur | Loan |
| Thomas Meunier | Lille | Free Transfer |
Importance of Sunderland player ‘standing alone’
To avoid this, ESPN NL says the Sunderland frontman and his coach came up with a simple term: ‘standing alone’. The whole point of this is for him to not be in the opposition centre-back’s sight.
“We have worked very specifically on that together over the past year: moving precisely behind those opponents and ensuring that the opponent cannot touch you. Then you don’t get involved in that physical duel. That takes less energy, and then it suddenly looks very simple. Then he gets tap-ins,” he added.
“You see him scanning, so he also knows where that other guy is behind him. Then he makes eye contact with his teammate and signals with his left hand: I want him here. And he controls the ball well. Receiving the ball while moving; goal.”
“In very tight spaces, when the ball speed is very high, you don’t have time to turn your head away from the ball. Brian uses the eye scan very often.
“Without his head moving, he still picks up information to his left and right with his eyes. Because of this, when he receives the ball, he already knows where there might be space to play with or where his teammates are located. And that allows you to act quickly.”
“Brian stands out much more often. As a result, opponents can hang onto him less, he acts faster because he sees what the situation requires, and he has more energy left over. His physique has always been a weapon, of course; he is just using that weapon much smarter now.”
Last weekend, the Dutchman scored a hat-trick in Sunderland’s 5-3 defeat to Manchester City. Despite the Black Cats’ loss, Woerst seems happy with his individual performance and his constant growth.
🇨🇭 Granit Xhaka | From Switzerland: What’s happening now with Sunderland captain
➡️ The reporting and quotes suggest the Swiss FA will try to find a way through this with Xhaka staying captain
📅 The date for the 2nd vaccine certificate was November 8th 2022 in Lucerne – Arsenal…— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) September 21, 2026
