Playing with two up front last Tuesday, Le Bris’ side had eased to a comfortable win at Derby County. Keep things the same for a home game against the team sitting at the foot of the table? Not quite.
In came Salis Abdul Samed for his first Sunderland start, sitting in front of the back four as a natural defensive midfielder and forcing Dan Neil to vacate the spot he had previously made his own this season. Out went Chris Rigg, so important to the Black Cats’ creativity, and Eliezer Mayenda, whose presence in a front two at Pride Park had been central to his side’s midweek success.
The result of the alterations? Sunderland’s worst performance of the season so far. Or at least a display that was a long way removed from the well-organised, purposeful performance that had accounted for Derby four days earlier. Samed was fine as a defensive presence, but wasn’t really needed. Neil did okay further forward, but was nowhere near as effective as he had been in a number of previous matches. As a collective, Sunderland just about got to grips with their new-look 4-1-4-1 formation, but had looked much more cohesive, particularly in attack, on Tuesday night.
Le Bris defended his changes by citing the need to start integrating Samed into the side and claiming that Rigg was in need of a rest. There is almost certainly merit to his thinking. But less than 24 hours after Sheffield United had slipped up, losing at home to Hull City, and coming two days before Burnley host Leeds United in a game that will see at least one more member of the top three drop points, this nevertheless felt like an opportunity missed.
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“For the last part of the season, we need more depth in our squad,” explained Le Bris. “Now, we have more players available and, to be connected with the team, you need to play. They need to experience this competition, to learn, analyse their performances and then prove their level. It is very important for the last sprint to have 17, 18 players at their best level so we have many different options.
“At the end of this game, maybe we can say it was not the best (decision), I don’t know, we can’t rewrite history. But for me, it was a good experience for what we are building.”
Be that as it may, Sunderland have now taken one point from their two matches against a Plymouth side who remain at the foot of the table. A blip perhaps, but also maybe proof that Le Bris’ side are better as underdogs rather than favourites.
Of more immediate concern is the costly habit of conceding late goals that once again reared its head. In their league matches this season, Sunderland have let in 36 per cent of the goals they have conceded from the 81st minute onwards. Plymouth away in September, a decisive stoppage-time concession in a 3-2 defeat. Watford away a couple of weeks later, an 84th-minute winner for the opposition. Sheffield United, 83rd-minute goal in a 1-0 loss. Stoke, Tom Cannon scoring in the last minute. The list goes on. And worryingly, it is showing no sign of coming to an end.
“We tried to go with three centre-backs (late on), and (Dan) Ballard should have been useful to face long balls because he is good in the air,” said Le Bris, who saw his side score through Wilson Isidor and Trai Hume, only for Nathaniel Ogbeta to fire in a 90th-minute leveller. “But it is not just a question of first contact.
“We had three or four chances to clear the ball, and we didn’t. It is a different part of the game. We needed technical things before that, but at the end of the game, something different is needed to finish, and we didn’t switch to that.”
