To do that, he said, would risk “scaring” his players.
No chance. This brilliant group of Sunderland players don’t do fear. If they did, they wouldn’t have won at Chelsea and they wouldn’t have gone toe-to-toe with Arsenal.
That’s why it came as no surprise when Chemsdine Talbi put them ahead at the midway stage of the second half at Anfield on Wednesday night.
And it says everything about Sunderland that it was a surprise they didn’t see the game out and pick up all three points against Liverpool.
That looked the likely scenario after Talbi’s opener, for the [Black Cats](http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland?ref=au) had been defensively immense and frustrated the Liverpool players and supporters.
But while Arne Slot’s side might be a sorry shadow of the side that won the Premier League just seven months ago, with the quality in their ranks it only takes a momentary lapse in concentration. And when goalscorer Talbi was beaten to a loose ball by Liverpool substitute Curtis Jones, Florian Wirtz weaved into the box and came up with the moment of class the champions were crying out for, the German’s shot bouncing off the unfortunate Nordi Mukiele and spinning beyond the reach of Robin Roefs.
Roefs so nearly provided the assist of the season deep in stoppage time when he launched a clearance into the path of substitute Wilson Isidor, who rounded Alisson but was denied by the covering Federico Cheisa on the line. What a moment that would have been for Kevin Phillips in the Sunderland away end.
But a point – even if could have been three – will only further lift the soaring spirit of a Sunderland side that are proving again and again that they belong at the top end of the Premier League table. It said everything at full-time that Sunderland's players looked disappointed with a draw.
The story of the team news was one selection and one substitute.
Brian Brobbey’s reward for his Bournemouth winner and a number of eye-catching cameos from the bench was his first Premier League start. It was some stage for the striker.
But Mo Salah was again a spectator, left out of Arne Slot’s XI for the second successive game after the misfiring champions won in his absence at West Ham last time out.
The recall of Trai Hume suggested Le Bris was reverting to a back three but, as is so often the case, the Frenchman had something up his sleeve. Hume was playing wide right with Enzo Le Fee supporting Brobbey in a central role.
Sunderland instantly looked comfortable and there was a purpose to their play from the off.
Isak will have been expecting a rough ride from the visiting Sunderland but it wasn’t until the 19th minute that the first chorus of boos could be heard from the away end, for the striker didn’t touch the ball until then. His first touch wasn’t worth the wait from a Liverpool perspective, slicing a shot high and wide from just inside the Sunderland area. It was Liverpool’s first touch of the ball in the penalty box.
Liverpool probed but were creating nothing of note. Even with a man advantage after playing on when Hume went down they couldn’t find a way through the imposing blue wall of Sunderland defenders. It was Sunderland’s defenders who were threatening at the other end. Alderete had one shot from distance and another acrobatic effort saved by Alisson, who then tipped Hume’s fierce strike onto the crossbar.
With no way through the defence, Liverpool had little option but to try their luck from distance as well. Szoboszlai’s effort moved this way and that in the air but Roefs was equal to it. Roefs was beaten moments later but Mac Allister’s effort hit the outside of his left post and bounced to Sunderland safety.
Salah’s half-time introduction was inevitable. And Liverpool’s plan was clear: give him the ball. But Reinildo looked like a player relishing facing a Premier League great. And the Mozambique international wasn’t content with focusing purely on keeping Salah quiet. Ten minutes into the second half he burst away down the left to meet a Xhaka pass on the counter, only stopped in his tracks by a bad tackle from Joe Gomez, who was booked. Talbi’s delivery from the resulting free-kick was disappointing.
The same couldn’t be said of his corner on the hour mark. It was met by Omar Alderete, whose header crunched the outside of the post.
And the same most certainly couldn’t be said of his effort from 25 yards at the midway stage of the second half. Yes, it took a deflection off van Dijk but fortune favours the brave and Talbi had only one thing on his mind when he collected a smart blind pass from the immense Le Fee.
Sunderland couldn’t hold on but they won’t fear Saturday’s trip to Manchester City.