Sunderland could and should have come away from the Stadium of Light with more than a point against Everton, and Regis Le Bris has to take responsibility for a couple of crucial mistakes.
After the incredible start to the season Sunderland have had, it’s not surprising most neutrals expected them to grab another win against Everton on Monday night.
A sluggish start cost Sunderland dearly, with Iliman Ndiaye’s superb solo goal making the difference by the half-time whistle. But, the Black Cats stormed out in the second half and levelled the score through Granit Xhaka’s first goal for the club.
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Xhaka wanted more from his team, and it’s hard to argue with the Sunderland skipper. So, where did it go wrong for Regis Le Bris?
Nordi Mukiele of Sunderland prepares to take a throw in during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Brentford at Stadium of Light.
Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images
Playing a back five was a mistake for Sunderland
Sunderland switched things up against Chelsea last weekend with Le Bris opting for a back five in favour of his usual back four. It worked against Enzo Maresca, with the Black Cats stifling the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
Why Le Bris chose to stick with that formation at home against a struggling Everton side is baffling, though. Going into the game with such a negative mindset was always going to set Sunderland up for a fall, and they gave the Toffees far too much respect from the get-go.
At home, this Sunderland team should always go for the kill. Starting the game with just one striker was far too tame an approach from Le Bris, and an utterly toothless first half proved exactly that.
Le Bris should have made changes sooner
Le Bris wants a deep squad at Sunderland; one that can compete on various fronts. In many ways, he’s already got that depth, but he seemed reluctant to use that against Everton.
The Sunderland manager only made two changes to his team, both of them coming in the 82nd minute of the game. Brian Brobbey has made progress in the past week for Sunderland, while Chemsdine Talbi was the matchwinner against Chelsea.
Surely, the pair deserved more than a ten-minute run-out against Everton. With the Black Cats in the ascendancy and pushing for a winner, Le Bris simply had to give his substitutes a better chance of making an impact.
Besides the timing of his changes, the fact that Chris Rigg, Simon Adingra, and Eliezer Mayenda were all left unused on the bench is another confusing decision from Le Bris.
Sunderland v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty Images
Sunderland’s half-time team talk worked wonders
However, there are positives to take from the game. While the first-half performance was unacceptable, Sunderland were far better from the moment the whistle blew to start the second half.
Speaking to Andy Sixsmith after the game, one of the stars of the game, Enzo Le Fee, said: “At half-time, Regis reminded us of our standards and what he expects from us. The second half was our standard. Our football.”
Indeed, that second 45 looked a lot more like the Sunderland we have come to expect this season, and it sounds like Le Bris’ team talk at the break made all the difference.
It’s been an unbelievable start to the season for Sunderland, and adding another point to their already impressive tally is not going to hurt their hopes of landing a top-half finish this term. And, if they do achieve that goal, a lot of the credit will have to go to Le Bris for his management style, even if he does get some tactical decisions wrong from time to time.