Phillips and Defoe spark online debate after post match comments on Sunderland Star following Sunderland’s win over Newcastle
Sunderland legends Kevin Phillips and Jermain Defoe found themselves at the centre of an online row after post-match comments about striker Wilson Isidor following Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland edged neighbours Newcastle 1–0 in a bruising encounter settled by a bizarre own goal, a late-second-half header by Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade that flew into his own net. The result ended a long wait for a top-flight Wear Tyne league meeting and sent the home crowd into raptures.
On Sky, social clips and club media, former England forwards Phillips and Defoe both revered figures on Wearside gave their views on the performance of Isidor, the 23-year-old French forward who has become a fan favourite this season. Defoe’s measured praise of Isidor was widely circulated: the former Sunderland striker described Isidor as “absolutely flying” and highlighted the forward’s impact since joining the club, remarks that were published and amplified by local outlets.
Phillips, meanwhile, was caught on camera in a short clip with Isidor that was shared by broadcasters and social accounts in the build-up and aftermath of the game an image that some supporters read as anointing the youngster as the new face of Sunderland’s attack. That footage, plus Phillips’s on-air comments praising the team’s attacking threat, spread rapidly online.
What began as warm-hearted endorsement from two club icons quickly morphed into debate on social media. Some supporters and pundits welcomed the attention on Isidor, pointing to his goals and high-energy displays this season; others accused the pair of putting excessive pressure on a young player still building his top-flight reputation. A separate viral clip showing Sunderland players laughing in a light-hearted studio segment ahead of the derby only fanned the flames, with some critics using that footage to question the timing and tone of the praise.
Isidor himself has had a mixed relationship with social media this season celebrated for big moments but also the target of harsh online reaction after a handful of high-profile misses earlier in the campaign and pundits warned that public endorsements from club greats can sometimes intensify the spotlight on young players. Local columnists and fan pages picked up on that tension, reminding followers that the line between supportive praise and damaging expectation can be thin.
Both Phillips and Defoe have reputations as level-headed commentators who regularly speak about Sunderland; neither appeared to intend controversy. Yet the episode underlined how quickly post-match soundbites and social clips can be reframed once they enter the online ecosystem particularly after a derby that carried extra heat. As one local columnist put it, the discussion says as much about the mood of the fanbase as it does about the player.
For now, Isidor’s form remains the key yardstick: performances on the pitch, not punditry, will ultimately settle the debate and Sunderland will hope their young forward keeps doing what he has done best this season.
