Player Focus: M'Vila Slowly Rebuilding his Reputation at Sunderland

Sunderland’s capture of Yann M’Vila on loan for the season was viewed as a coup for the Black Cats. The Frenchman’s career path may not have followed the one his potential promised, but his move to the Wearside club was a surprise to some. Arsenal had been credited with an interest in him in the past, with many viewing him as the ideal midfielder for the Gunners, yet Sunderland were the side to finally take him to England.

A transfer to Rubin Kazan in 2013 was something of a shock and it was little surprise to see the move fail to have the desired effect. A loan switch to Inter last summer was cut short early after a falling out with Roberto Mancini, and after being exiled by Rubin, a lack of fitness threatened to see his career peter out, particularly after he failed to secure a switch Dynamo Moscow due to off the field issues. 

Problems away from football have frequently plagued the 25-year-old and has held him back from realising his potential. Yet, at Sunderland, M’Vila looks to be slowly rebuilding his career. A red card on his first appearance in an U21 match for the Black Cats was hardly the ideal way to kick off his career on Wearside, but since then M’Vila has quickly proven a beacon of hope in what has been a relatively bleak season for Sunderland. 

His WhoScored rating (7.36) is better than any other Sunderland player this season, reinforcing just how influential he has been in the middle of the park. With the pragmatic Sam Allardyce at the helm, M’Vila is tasked with performing the dirty work in midfield, which he does so to a commendable standard. An average of 3 tackles per game is one of the better returns in the middle of the park for the club, while his experience of playing in various leagues across the continent means his reading of the game is one of his strongest traits. 

Only centre-back Sebastian Coates (3.2) is averaging more interceptions per league game than M’Vila (2.7) of all Sunderland players, which helps ease the pressure on one of the more inconsistent defences in England’s top tier. Only Newcastle and Bournemouth (both 30) have shipped more league goals this season than Sunderland (29), so the need for a ball-winning midfielder to shield the backline is vital. 

While Allardyce is able to call on Lee Cattermole to perform the dogged duties in front of the defence, M’Vila does so with a measure of calmness. Despite his reputation, the former Rennes trainee has just one booking to his name from 14 league appearances and is averaging just 0.7 fouls per game. Not only does this point to his impressive timing to make a ball-winning challenge, but means the Sunderland defence aren’t forced to routinely face opposition set-pieces in dangerous attacking situations. 

Only three players have won possession in the midfield third more times than M’Vila (66) in the Premier League this season. Under Allardyce, Sunderland have developed into to a more counter attacking team, soaking up pressure before hitting the opposition on the break. A prime example of this came in the unexpected 1-0 win at Crystal Palace last month. With Allardyce able to call on swift attackers in the form of Jermain Defoe, Duncan Watmore and Jeremain Lens, a player in the middle of the park to win possession back before springing attacks is vital. 

M’Vila is just the player Allardyce needs to perform these duties. He is averaging more passes per game (49.7) than any other Sunderland player, while his pass success rate (83.9%) ranks top of all Black Cats regulars in the Premier League this term. Furthermore, an average of 1.6 key passes per game is the joint-best of all players at the club, reinforcing how effective he has now become. M’Vila’s influence in the middle of the park has seen Sunderland gain a statistically calculated WhoScored style of play of ‘attack through the middle’. 

With Allardyce recently experimenting with a three-man defence and the wing-backs tasked with tucking in to solidify the back, a player of M’Vila’s distribution has been a blessing for the former West Ham boss. His all-action displays have rapidly won over the passionate Sunderland supporters who haven't had much to celebrate in recent years. The defensive and offensive side of his game have certainly been a benefit to the team in their bid to stave off the threat of relegation. 

In M’Vila, Allardyce has at his disposal a midfielder tailor-made for the English game and one who can quickly transition from defence to attack, similar to Alex Song when the pair worked together at West Ham last term. Indeed, should M’Vila maintain his excellent start to life at Sunderland, the north-east outfit stand a much stronger chance of consolidating their spot in England’s top tier.

How important is Yann M'Vila to Sunderland and their quest to stave off relegation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below