It wasn’t fairly as pricey as Wayne Rooney’s stamp on Ricardo Carvalho on the 2006 World Cup, and nor was it as defining a picture as David Beckham flicking a leg at Diego Simeone throughout England’s conflict with Argentina nearly a decade prior, with each incidents enjoying a serious position in England exiting two World Cups with their hearts damaged and two newly-crowned scapegoats able to be slaughtered by the media.
As an alternative, when Reinildo (a former normal of Simeone’s at Atlético Madrid, no much less — maybe that’s from the place his “on the sting” enjoying model originates) noticed purple for a petulant kick at Aston Villa’s Matty Money, it pressured Sunderland to play for nearly an hour with ten males in a recreation that might’ve been tough sufficient to barter with eleven gamers on the park.
Commercial
Fortunately, the Lads rallied and ultimately fought again to assert some extent. “Do it for Reinildo” may not have been the mindset from that second on, however they actually weren’t going to let his dismissal blow them off beam, as Wilson Isidor’s late equaliser proved.
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 21: Reinildo Mandava of Sunderland reacts after being proven a purple card by the Referee through the Premier League match between Sunderland and Aston Villa at Stadium of Gentle on September 21, 2025 in Sunderland, England. (Picture by George Wooden/Getty Photographs)
Within the aftermath, Régis Le Bris didn’t haul the Mozambican over the coals for his transgression; as an alternative, there was merely a peaceful and reasoned response alongside the traces of “He is aware of he bought it unsuitable. He’ll serve the ban and are available again extra strongly”.
Certainly, had he not blotted his copybook with the purple card in opposition to Villa and the concession of a penalty in opposition to Brentford, he was constructing a powerful case as one of many signings of our summer time, along with his athleticism, expertise and defensive guile proving key.
Commercial
Nonetheless, since Reinildo was diminished to the position of spectator, it’s honest to say that the price of his three-game ban has been notable, as with Dennis Cirkin a way from match health and different viable choices skinny on the bottom, it’s fallen to Arthur Masuaku to deputise and the previous West Ham defender has discovered the going robust, with a patchy efficiency in opposition to Nottingham Forest being adopted by an equally shaky show at Previous Trafford.
Considerably paradoxically, Masuaku arguably boasts simply as highly effective an engine as his teammate and isn’t afraid to roam ahead, however he was additionally given a stern exercise by Forest and United’s speedy attackers and his positional shakiness is a weak spot that different sides would undoubtedly goal.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 04: Amad Diallo of Manchester United is challenged by Arthur Masuaku of Sunderland through the Premier League match between Manchester United and Sunderland at Previous Trafford on October 04, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Picture by Gareth Copley/Getty Photographs)
On a free switch, Masuaku most likely wasn’t the worst addition we may’ve made and there’ll probably be occasions through the season the place he’ll play a component — presumably throughout ten or fifteen-minute cameos in the direction of the top of video games — however assuming Cirkin regains full health and works his method again into the primary workforce image, I do ponder whether Le Bris may take into account him as a viable various, even despite his contractual uncertainty.
Commercial
Thankfully, our subsequent recreation and, a conflict with struggling Wolves, is the ultimate recreation of Reinildo’s ban and with the opportunity of a swap in formation to manage (Chemsdine Talbi at left wing again, maybe?) perhaps we’ll see a bit extra defensive solidity consequently. Le Bris isn’t referred to as a tinkerer, however given Wolves’ place in the direction of the foot of the desk and our personal spectacular document at house, if ever a recreation stood out as one to change issues up, this might properly be it.
When Reinildo does make his return to the fray — and he comes straight again into the beginning eleven, for me — maybe it’ll be along with his combative instincts barely curbed and a larger appreciation of the significance of self-discipline at this stage.
All of us need gamers to convey ardour and a full-blooded strategy to each recreation.
That’s why Trai Hume, for instance, is such a preferred determine at Sunderland, however with cameras in every single place and a person in a caravan at Stockley Park monitoring Premier League video games along with his eagle eye, you merely can’t get away with the type of hot-blooded response Reinildo confirmed in opposition to Villa. He’s not the primary to fall foul of modern-day high flight officiating guidelines and he gained’t be the final, however beneath completely different circumstances, it may’ve been extremely pricey and these are dangers we merely can’t afford to take.
Commercial
Let’s hope that once we welcome the favored left again into the fold, it’s with extra of a measured strategy and the power to not fall into the traps set by the league’s resident wind-up retailers. He’s too vital a participant to get blended up in that type of nonsense.