It’s only a matter of time before Jenson Seelt becomes a key player for Sunderland

“Seelt has demonstrated some impressive performances, putting him on the development path that all of our summer signings ought to be following,” says Paddy Hollis.

It’s not always a negative thing, but Sunderland has been cautious with rotating their defense thus far in the 2023–2024 campaign.

Jenson Seelt, the summer signing, is one man who has experienced the changing of the guard. There have been instances when adjustments should have been made when they weren’t, and vice versa.

Seelt, who was signed from PSV Eindhoven in his own country, had to wait patiently for his opportunity in the starting lineup. However, following a few early setbacks, the Dutchman has since shown that he can seize opportunities.

Seelt has shown assurance whether playing as a right back or a right-sided center-half against Leeds United and Hull City, which is a significant improvement in his play.

To say that Seelt’s first days at Sunderland were frustrating and then aloof would be an understatement. His only appearance on the field came during a five-minute cameo on Sheffield Wednesday. After Dan Neil was sent off during the home loss to Middlesbrough, he was substituted on.

There was no prearranged introduction, and we can be certain that this wasn’t how his introduction to the group was intended to proceed.

Seelt has been with us ever since, and in three of his last four games, he has been a member of the starting lineup.

We haven’t tried a back five with three center backs very much in the past, but part of the reason for that is that we didn’t have the right equipment for the task.

But, Dan Ballard, Seelt, and Luke O’Nien have all played together as a back five this season, and with great success. Despite all of our attacking prowess, we haven’t seen enough of the defensive play we displayed against Leeds this season.

We have a young player, Seelt, on the right side of the defense, but even at his age, he scans the game with a maturity that’s often lacking in twenty-year-old defenders.

Seelt’s succession plan is well under way, and the success of his colleagues provides a solid foundation.

The finest example is Trai Hume, although Seelt also went to Sunderland in order to develop into a professional player. Trusting Hume and letting him play games was a major contributing aspect in this. It’s a straightforward approach, but it works well.

Seelt’s seamless transition into excellent form raises the question of how best to use him going forward.

Though, to be fair, Luke O’Nien was excellent at Hull and still has more good days than bad, the question of whether he is a center back occasionally comes up.

In an ideal world, you want players in their natural positions. A central defensive pairing of Seelt and Dan Ballard, as well as looking lovely, has the potential to be one of our strongest in many years. Agile and calm and the ball, while both being built nice and tall, is a winning combination for centre-half pairings in the modern game.

Then again, if Michael Beale’s hand is turned and he switches to a three centre back setup up we’ll be in a good place. Opting for two wingbacks who will back up the wide attackers should work well with the players we have, and giving Seelt more defensive responsibility is something he’s earned.