Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Bill. Thank you for your letter.
Given that we’re now in December and the Lads have yet to taste defeat at the Stadium of Light, the answer to your first question is emphatic — “No. This team doesn’t accept being beaten at home”.
We’ve managed to win games and earn vital points from tricky positions during 2025/2026, and the message we’ve sent by doing that is that visiting sides know they’re in for a real battle when they arrive on Wearside.
Regarding Brian Brobbey, I fully agree that he has a strong case for being our starting striker — certainly for the Liverpool game and possibly Manchester City as well.
I believe his physicality and aggression are real assets and given that Liverpool in particular have looked shaky at the back this season, Wednesday night could be the perfect chance for him to start a game in red and white for the first time.