There were plenty of questions for Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris after the defeat against Leeds United on Monday, as the Black Cats once again threw away points from a winning position.
Sunderland going ahead in games is rapidly becoming a warning sign for the Black Cats, as they keep on throwing away leads and either drawing, or in the case of Monday night, losing.
Wilson Isidor scored yet another fine finish to give Sunderland an unexpected lead at Leeds United on Monday. But in typical Black Cats fashion of this season, Sunderland eventually lost the game 2-1.
Sunderland fans were fuming with Regis Le Bris after the game. Many blame his substitutions in the second half and his negative tactics when ahead for the loss, which puts 10 points between Sunderland in 4th place of the Championship table and Leeds in 1st.
By all means, this season is still going strong. But the Black Cats could, probably should be much higher up in the standings than they are right now, if it weren’t for what Gary Bennett describes as a ‘bad habit’ of dropping points from winning positions.
Marco Gabbiadini rues Salis Abdul Samed change during Leeds United defeat
One change Le Bris made in the second half that baffled supporters was the decision to bring in Salis Abdul Samed. The Ghanaian has barely played in recent weeks having only made his debut for the Black Cats in January after a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Speaking on Total Sport, former Sunderland man and BBC pundit Marco Gabbiadini has questioned Samed’s introduction against Leeds, questioning why the likes of Chris Mepham and Alan Browne were both kept on the bench.
Gabbiadini said: “Putting on a lad like Salis to just come on… You can tell he’s fresh to the environment and the speed of the game anyway. He did nothing wrong, but surely Mepham and Browne should’ve been on there. Surely?
“Le Bris looked so calm all through the game. I was really impressed with how he handled the situation. But is it part of the plan? Has he got to play these other players to get their minutes and their reputation up? I don’t know. It seems a bit strange.”
Why isn’t Chris Mepham starting for Sunderland right now?
Throughout the season, Chris Mepham has been one of Sunderland’s best players. Many might argue that he’s a strong candidate for the Player of the Season award right now.
But he’s been benched for the last two outings now, being an unused substitute in both as well. Dan Ballard has been favoured at the back with the Northern Ireland international no doubt brought in to provide that extra bit of physicality, whilst Luke O’Nien is kept in for his mobility among other traits.
Against Leeds, in the final stages of the game, Mepham would’ve been the ideal change to make. He’s got the experience to get through those challenging waves of Leeds pressure, and he’s got the height to deal with set-pieces too.
Like Gabbiadini and many others think, Le Bris got it all wrong in the second half against Leeds. Nonetheless, the game held lots of positives for the Black Cats still.
‘Is it part of the plan?’: BBC pundit baffled by the ‘strange’ thing Le Bris did during Sunderland vs Leeds
