Sunderland ya kamata ya yi farin ciki sosai wannan kakar wasa — farkon yakin Turai na shekaru 53, ciki har da tafiya zuwa AC Milan, an yi tsammani zai nuna sabuwar zamanin. A maimakon haka, aikinsu na gida ya zama tushen damuwa mai zurfi, yayin da maneja Regis Le Bris ke fuskantar tambayoyi masu ƙaruwa game da makomar sa.

Bayan wasanni tara na Premier League, Black Cats suna zama a kasan tebur da nasara ɗaya kawai da cin nasara shida. Matsayi na bakwai mai ban mamaki na kakar da ta gabata — wanda ya haɗa da nasara biyu a kan Chelsea da Newcastle, da dai-dai tare da Arsenal da Manchester City — yanzu yana ganin kamar tunanin da ya wuce.

Me ya kasa?

Bayan kimauta 3-1 a hannun Coventry City Asabar da ta gabata, kyaftin Granit Xhaka ya yi tambaya a bainar jama'a game da "jarumi" na ƙungiyarsa. Hakan ya zo makonni bayan mai tsaro na Faransa Nordi Mukiele ya zargi ƙungiyar da yin "girman kai." Dukansu sun kasance cikin mafi kyawun aiyukan Sunderland kakar da ta gabata, suna ba da gudummawa ga tsabtaccen raga 11 a rukunin mafi girma — amma aikinsu ya ragu sosai wannan kakar.

"Ban san ainihin matsalar ba," Xhaka ya yarda. "Shin mai da hankali ne? Shin wasu abubuwa ne? Muna kasan tebur amma a kwallon kafa kuna bukatar yin tunani mai kyau da kuma nuna jarumi. Ba haka lamarin yake a yanzu ba."

Carl Jenkinson, wanda ya taka leda tare da Xhaka a Arsenal, ya kira maganar tsohon abokansa na wasa "abin damuwa," yana kara da cewa Xhaka "ya kasance mai bacin rai sosai," wanda ya ce ba na yau da kullum ne ba a wurinsa.

Tasirin Turai

Masu kallo da yawa suna nuna kwallon kafa ta Turai a matsayin babban abin da ke haifar da matsala. Sunderland a zahiri sun yi kyau a UEFA Europa League — sun yi nasara sau biyu kuma sun yi dai-dai sau ɗaya a cikin farkon wasanni uku na matakin gasar — amma jadawalin Alhamis-Lahadi ya yi tasiri mai nauyi a kan aikinsu na Premier League. Sun sha kaye sau biyu kuma sun yi dai-dai sau ɗaya a cikin wasanni uku na gida bayan daruruwan wasannin Turai.

Masanin kwallon kafa na Faransa Julien Laurens ya gano cunkoshewar wasanni a matsayin babbar matsala. "Zai iya zama wani abu da ke jan hankalin 'yan wasa — musamman waɗanda ba su taɓa buga kwallon kafa ta Turai ba," in ji shi. "Kuna buga Alhamis-Lahadi kuma hakan bambam ne sosai da abin da Sunderland suka saba da shi kakar da ta gabata."

Raunuka, katunan ja, da ƙananan bambance-bambance

Sunderland sun zura kwallaye bakwai kawai a gasar a wannan kakar, biyu daga cikinsu sun fito ne daga bugun fenariti. Uku daga cikin kwallaye bakwai an zura su a wasa ɗaya — kimauta 3-5 a hannun Manchester City. Ƙungiyar ta kuma ƙare wasanni uku da 'yan wasa goma — an kora Reinildo Mandava a wasan Arsenal, Kevin Danso a wasan Bournemouth, da Omar Alderete a wasan Coventry. Ba su sami nasarar zura kwallo a gaban rabin lokaci ba a wasanni bakwai cikin tara na gasar.

Dan gaba Brian Brobbey, wanda ya zura kwallaye bakwai na gasar kakar da ta gabata kafin ya kara da uku don Netherlands a Gasar Cin Kofin Duniya, har yanzu bai sami kwallo ba tun bayan dawowarsa daga raunin tsokoki. Sunderland sun kashe £60 miliyan kawai a kan 'yan wasa biyar wannan lokacin bazara, idan aka kwatanta da £161 miliyan a kan 'yan wasa 15 a shekarar da ta gabata.

Shin Le Bris yana cikin aminci?

BBC Sport ta fahimci cewa matsayin Le Bris ba yana cikin haɗari nan take ba, kuma manajojin kulob suna niyyar ba shi ƙarin lokaci. Bafaranshen ya kasance a mulki tun Yuli 2024 — maneja da ya yi wa Sunderland aiki tsawon lokaci mafi yawa tun Steve Bruce — kuma yana da gaske na biya don kawo ci gaban kulob da lasisi na Turai.

Ya kuma jagoranci kulob zuwa wasan kusa da na karshe na Carabao Cup, inda za su fuskanci Crystal Palace a Selhurst Park. Amma da Sunderland suna nisan maki biyu kawai daga aminci, haƙuri yana da iyakar sa.

Tsohon aro na Sunderland Nedum Onuoha ya kasance mai gaskiya game da yanayin. "Wannan kakar maki biyar ne daga wasanni tara da kwallaye bakwai da aka zura — hakan yana magana da kansa," in ji shi ga BBC Sport. "A yanzu bai zama kamar ana tafiya zuwa hanya daidai ba."

Laurens shi ma ya kasance mai gaskiya sosai: "Ina kallo Sunderland ba na ganin shi yana samun mafita don juya abubuwa. Gare ni hakan yana damuwa sosai."

Wasan UEFA Europa League a gida a kan Dinamo Zagreb na Alhamis yana ba da dan hutun wucin gadi kafin zuwan Chelsea na Lahadi. Nasara a kan zakara na Croatia da ta ɗaga morale aƙalla — amma hoto na ƙasa yana bayyana yanzu gagarumin abin da ke cikin wannan kakar ga Black Cats.