Jermain Defoe Names the Two ‘Worst’ Players Playing for Sunderland: “Really the Worst of the Worst”

Jermain Defoe has never been one to soft-soap his opinions, and the Sunderland legend has delivered a brutal assessment of two current Black Cats players after just two Premier League games of the new season.

Speaking with the same directness that once made him a goalscoring hero on Wearside, Defoe did not hold back when asked about the early performances of the side under Régis Le Bris.

“I’ve watched the first two games closely,” Defoe said. “There are players in that squad who are simply not at the level required right now. I’m talking about two in particular. Really the worst of the worst in those performances. If that doesn’t change, and change quickly, it will cost Sunderland points they can’t afford to drop.”

The two players Defoe singled out are Luke O’Nien and Brian Brobbey.

Defoe remains one of the most respected figures among Sunderland supporters. His three seasons at the club produced unforgettable moments, none more iconic than the volley against Newcastle that still lives in the memory of every fan who was inside the Stadium of Light that day. Beyond the goals, his connection with the late Bradley Lowery cemented his place in club folklore. When a player of that standing speaks this bluntly, people listen.

Defoe continued: “Look, I love the club and I want them to do well. But you can’t hide from the truth. After two games you can already see who is coping with the jump and who is struggling. Those two performances were nowhere near good enough. At this level, that gets punished.”

Luke O’Nien has been a warrior for Sunderland through the Championship years and into the Premier League. His leadership, versatility and commitment have never been in question. Yet in the opening-day defeat at Ipswich, the defensive errors proved costly. Defoe did not spare him.

“Luke has been a brilliant servant to that football club. No one can question his heart. But the Premier League is unforgiving. The mistakes for the goals at Ipswich were the kind that get you relegated if they keep happening. You can’t give the ball away in those areas against teams that punish you. He knows it, the manager knows it, and the fans know it.”

The assessment has resonated with supporters who have defended O’Nien for years but are now beginning to worry about the step up. In a back line that has looked vulnerable at times, repeated errors from a senior player become a serious problem.

The second name on Defoe’s list is Brian Brobbey. The Dutch striker arrived with a reputation for physical dominance and goal threat, yet his early appearances have been marked by a lack of clinical edge. Defoe was characteristically blunt.

“Brobbey has the tools. He’s strong, he can hold the ball up, he occupies defenders. But at this level it’s about what you do in the final third. In the first two games the end product hasn’t been there. When you’re the focal point and the team needs a goal, you have to deliver. Right now it’s not happening, and that’s a big problem for Sunderland.”

The Fulham match underlined the point. Brobbey started but was replaced by Wilson Isidor, who went on to score the winner. The substitution was tactical and ultimately successful, yet it also highlighted that Le Bris is prepared to make tough calls when players are not producing.

After only two Premier League games, many Sunderland supporters already share Defoe’s frustration. The defeat at Ipswich was marked by defensive mistakes. The win over Fulham was secured by substitutes rather than the starting attackers. In both matches, the same two players found themselves under the microscope.

Defoe’s willingness to name them publicly has given voice to a conversation that was already happening in group chats and on fan forums. “He’s not saying anything the supporters haven’t been saying,” one fan noted. “O’Nien’s errors cost us at Ipswich and Brobbey hasn’t looked like scoring. Defoe is just saying the quiet part out loud.”

Another added: “It hurts because we rate both of them. But Defoe is right. If this continues, it will cost us points. Simple as that.”

Le Bris has shown throughout his time at Sunderland that he is prepared to make difficult selection decisions. Form and tactical fit outweigh sentiment. The Fulham game, in which Isidor and Habib Diarra changed the contest from the bench, was another example of that ruthlessness.

For O’Nien and Brobbey, the message is therefore clear. The next run of fixtures offers the chance to respond. Strong performances and, in Brobbey’s case, goals would quickly silence the critics. Continued struggle would make it increasingly difficult for Le Bris to keep selecting them ahead of alternatives.

Defoe, speaking as a club legend rather than a pundit chasing headlines, framed it as a warning rather than an attack.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms where players have had to face hard truths,” he said. “Sometimes that’s what it takes. These two have the ability. But ability means nothing if the performances aren’t there. They’ve got a chance to put it right. They need to take it.”

Sunderland’s season is still in its infancy. Six points from the next six games would change the narrative completely. For O’Nien and Brobbey, those matches represent a personal audition as much as a collective challenge.

Le Bris will continue to pick the team based on form and fitness. The board will continue to back the process. The supporters, however, are watching closely — and after Defoe’s intervention, the scrutiny on those two players has intensified.

Jermain Defoe has never been afraid to speak his mind. On this occasion, his verdict has struck a nerve because it reflects what many fans have seen with their own eyes after just two games.

Two players.

Two underwhelming starts.

And a legend who is not prepared to pretend otherwise.

The season is young.

The warning has been delivered.