The Ivan Sunjic Revival: Trusting Him to Run
Ivan Sunjic is finally thriving in a Birmingham City shirt. Why has it taken him so long?
Ivan Sunjic joined Birmingham City as something of an unknown but attractive signing to the masses.
Here was a young midfielder that had already debuted for Croatia's national team, was a key member of the U21 European Championship side, had earned a move to Croatian top dogs Dinamo Zagreb where he played Champions League and Europa League football.
He also cost the club around £6 million (if I remember correctly) and though Blues (and more specifically, Xuandong Ren) were careless spenders, that sort of cash being thrown around in the Championship made a splash. He joined in the same summer as Jake Clarke-Salter, Dan Crowley, Fran V*llalba, Alvaro Gimenez and, erm, Agus Medina (remember that pre-season free-kick vs Walsall though). A change of approach, for sure.
I recall clips being shared on social media of Sunjic pinging cross-field passes in a Croatia jersey and the talk of his potential. This was exciting, new, exotic. Was he the real deal? Were the rumours of Dong getting involved with a Croatian mafia true?
It hasn't really worked out. And yet, in his fifth and final contracted season with the club, he's forced himself into the starting XI after a strong pre-season and looking the competent footballer we expected.
It's left many with questions. So, what has changed - him, or us?
I think part of the discourse has to be understanding what Ivan Sunjic is.
The price tag that came with the Croatian led many to expect an all-rounder, a midfielder that could run, tackle, dominate the midfield battle and also play. There's little denying that what he brings to the table was never worth that money and that has always been a big problem. David Davis and Maikel Kieftenbeld cost less than 500k apiece, for example.
It can be hard not to judge players on what is paid for them at times but it's never the player's fault, only the club's. Ultimately, each player should still be debated on their own merits. So what is Ivan Sunjic?
Well, he's a destroyer. He's a midfielder who, at his best, gets about the pitch, chasing, harrying, covering, sweeping and giving opponents little time or space or to make something happen. He gets into faces, is strong and physical enough to handle himself in most duels and quick enough across the ground that he isn't often out run.
In possession, he's limited. He's not somebody with the technique to take a touch and ping the ball 50 yards to a team-mate, capable of regularly finding the runs of team-mates or threading passes between the lines with ease. He's capable of protecting the ball when under control but has a tendency to get the ball stuck under his feet and needs the simple option to evade trouble & lacks awareness when receiving the ball, particularly when the game isn't in front of him.
Sunjic hasn't often played a role that suits him. He's a victim of so much change, as most footballers at Birmingham City have been in recent years. Managers have had their own agendas and cared little for the strengths of the players available to them, leading to erratic performances and fluctuating form.
The early signs were pretty promising with Sunjic. We all remember the early Clotet days as being quite fun, particularly during October and November and that Middlesbrough game. He was part of a midfield containing Crowley, V*llalba, Kerim Mrabti and his central midfield partner Jude Bellingham, aged 16.
It was youthful, raw and left gaps but it was fun. The players worked hard, moved the ball and themselves forward. There was purpose and fluidity in their play and for a brief moment, it looked as if we had come across something pretty special, if a bit fragile and loose.
Sunjic was the rat. The chaser. The bastard. He got about the midfield, covering, snuffing out danger and giving it to those that could cause havoc with the ball.
Then came the injuries and the politics and the January window where V*llalba and Gimenez left and Scott Hogan arrived. A basic 4-4-2 followed and though early results were fine, the form of Hogan and the team capitulated post-COVID and Sunjic was one of many that suffered, now looking more like a headless chicken than a lion in the prowl.
Aitor Karanka was next. This was the Schindler's List to Clotet's dreams of a colourful Barbie utopia. It was miserable stuff at a time when many were already suffering behind closed doors due to lockdown.
Karanka had an aversion to his midfielders being anywhere but stood on the toes of the central defenders, whether there was two of three of them and the lack of mobility in Adam Clayton and Mikel San Jose did little to help change that. They were tasked with sitting, protecting and only engaging when necessary rather than to help set the tempo. Sunjic suffered, the energy sucked out of his game and the gaps between midfield and attack too big to get by in possession.
Lee Bowyer's man-for-man system more suitable. Simple job - stick with your man. When your team-mates get the ball, run forward. When you get the ball, pass forward.
However, things got bad pretty quickly. Sunjic had no problem running around, tackling, stopping somebody from playing their game. Issues arose when others around him started to struggle and couldn't carry out their tasks - it was rare that Bowyer could field a team full of athletes that were confident and stronger than their opponents.
The headless chicken version of Sunjic was forced to return. He was consistently torn between whether to stick with his man or leave him to chase the ball and his decision making became erratic as a result, his decision making often delayed or incorrect and gaping holes were left as a result.
In possession, he often lacked an obvious option because there was no structure or outball a lot of the time with a number of players starting to hide or make poor decisions of their own. He didn't stop trying, but like most in the side, Sunjic was isolated, unsure of his job and error-prone.
It's common knowledge that Sunjic is on a decent wedge of money per week over the course of the season. Quite how that is structured is unknown, but he was signed for a big fee during the reckless years. Blues tried to cut their losses and Hertha Berlin answered our prayers.
It felt like a move for the best. He plays top flight football in Germany and gets a fresh start. They cover his wages. Fans can see the back of a player they don't rate. All parties move on.
I never watched him play in Germany, but it's clear that things didn't go well. The club struggled and he played relatively little football. A change of manager late in the season led Sunjic being sent away from training. Little had changed in terms of style - over 3 tackles per 90 minutes played, 74% pass completion and just over 30 passes per 90 - but it wasn't good enough, it seems.
Sunjic being sent home from training was a surprise. For all his faults as a footballer, the now 26-year-old has never come across as a poor character, as somebody that throws his toys out of the pram or looks for excuses. Even when he has lacked confidence, he has never shirked his duties as far as the most basic element is concerned - working hard for the team.
When Sunjic re-appeared at Blues at the start of the summer, it felt typical of John Eustace - if you're in the building, you don't get left behind. You train with us, you work hard, you'll get an opportunity and it's down to you to take it.
It happened last summer. While Sunjic had moved to Germany, Jonathan Leko and Sam Cosgrove stuck around despite being touted for moves. Cosgrove made appearances from the bench while Leko stuck around until a January move, playing various roles. Sunjic is a stronger performer but it felt like he was in the same boat - tick along during pre-season and see if a move comes about.
He started most pre-season friendlies and impressed but was benched for the final one against Peterborough United. Bielik had re-signed and found fitness. Bacuna returned from an extended break. Dembele had arrived. Anderson signed a contract after a positive trial period. James was impressing. Sunjic had been away for a year and he would have to bide his time.
That time came quickly. We were terrible in the first half and Eustace gave Sunjic his opportunity in the second, an opportunity he took. He gave a lifeless team some energy and bite and did enough to earn a start against Swansea on the opening day in place of Bacuna. He kept his place for Leeds. And Bristol City. And he'll likely start vs Plymouth Argyle too.
So why is he performing now and receiving the kind of praise he's never really received in a Blues shirt?
For starters, Eustace deserves credit. He was happy to let Sunjic prove himself and Sunjic has repaid that with a positive and competitive (yes, that word) attitude.
His team has a clear structure. Sure, it's lopsided, sorry, asymmetrical or whatever word doesn't cause offence, but the players know their jobs. When a player receives possession, he often knows his next pass. When a player takes the ball, they want to run forward with it. When the opposition have the ball, the players know what their jobs are to try and stop them.
That's partly why Sunjic is thriving right now. His game is no longer complicated. His game requires him to do the things that he's good at - being a nuisance, running forward and keeping it simple with the ball. It's the same energy and commitment he's always shown but within a structure that is less about thinking and more about doing.
Recruitment has been a huge help. Sunjic has less need to be so involved in build-up and possession because those around him are so comfortable - they don't shit themselves every time they have the ball under the smallest of pressure.
They also have the intelligence and physical attributes to carry out their jobs within the structure. It means Sunjic has started the season not having to do the running of two out of necessity and cover more than one team-mate. He can get on with his own game and watch on as his team-mates get on with theirs.
Sunjic is never going to be a world-beater. He's never going to be worth the fee we paid for him all those years ago. His transfer is another reminder of the years we are trying to leave behind.
There is a chance that his form could just be a positive spell as he looks to prove himself all over again rather than the start of a run for Player of the Season. Or that injuries to others in the side hurt the structure of the team and Sunjic could find himself all at sea once more.
Yet Sunjic has always given himself a fighting chance with Blues fans because he's always available - 40 appearances in those first three seasons - and regardless of performance, he's always played for the shirt.
He's in the final year of his five-year deal and unlikely to re-sign next summer. There's a chance he leaves before then, either in the next week or in January. If he does, there are players ready to step up and take that spot in the midfield.
In the meantime, the job is his, he's giving everything he's got and playing some of the best football he has done in a Blues shirt.
All it took was a manager to let him do what he's good at.
Run.