Sunderland got a lot right last summer. In many ways, they created the blueprint for staying up at the first time of asking since promotion back to the Premier League, but that's not to say it's all gone to plan.
Whilst record signing Habib Diarra has met expectations alongside new captain Granit Xhaka, the Black Cats are still waiting for Chemsdine Talbi to prove his worth after arriving for £18m in the summer.
chemsdine-talbi-sunderland
The winger has been one of the few disappointments and faces the prospect of losing his place unless he rediscovers the form that secured a move to the Stadium of Light in the first place.
Why Talbi has struggled at Sunderland
The Morocco international, who is now technically an AFCON winner without even winning the final, has struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League.
After 12 goal involvements at Club Brugge last season, Talbi has been involved in just five goals at Sunderland and is in danger of becoming a transfer flop.
Talbi's league stats P90 24/25 (Brugge) 25/26 (Sunderland)
Minutes 1,211 1,238
Goals 0.37 0.22
Assists 0.22 0.07
Dribbles 1.86 1.09
Chances created 1.93 0.8
Touches 52.25 36.28
His drop in goals and assists should be a concern for Sunderland, but the lack of involvement that Talbi has in Premier League games should be even more alarming.
He's taken almost 20 fewer touches for the Black Cats than he did in Belgium, whilst his chance creation and dribbling numbers have also dropped. Talbi is watching games pass him by.
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If the goals and assists aren't coming, then the 20-year-old must at least get involved more often. His chance creation numbers are a particular concern, given that they've dropped to less than one chance created per game, and that's why it's time for Regis Le Bris to be ruthless.
How Sunderland can replace Talbi
At the business end of the season and on a run of just one win in five games in all competitions, it's not absurd to suggest that Sunderland shouldn't be relying on an out-of-form 20-year-old. Instead, it's time to turn towards a player with far more calibre in Enzo Le Fee.
Le Fee
The Frenchman has played for one of Italy's biggest clubs, AS Roma, and offers Sunderland a similar experience to that of Fabio Borini many moons ago. And, like the Italian, Le Fee can play a crucial role as the current campaign edges closer and closer to a conclusion.
Compared to Talbi, Le Fee has had no trouble adapting to life in the Premier League. In fact, he's already outperformed his Championship numbers with eight goal involvements in the league so far this season and only looks likely to get even better.
Enzo Le Fee 25/26 P90
Minutes
Goals
Assists
Dribbles
Chances created
Whilst Le Fee still hasn't enjoyed great take-on success, his chance creation will prove to be all-important if Sunderland are to return to winning ways in the final eight games of the season.
At 26 years old, the former Roma man is at the peak of his powers and should act as the standard-setter for young players like Talbi rather than watching on from the bench.
Enzo-Le-Fee
Dubbed "incredible" by talent scout Jacek Kulig during his time at Lorient in France, Le Bris should hand Le Fee a permanent starting place for the rest of the season when he's back from injury.
The Black Cats will, of course, be hoping that he is on his way back ahead of the Tyne-Wear derby this weekend. It wasn't long ago that Borini stunned Newcastle to snatch the points for Sunderland late on.
Now, 13 years later, they can turn to another former Serie A player to put their rivals to the sword.
As for Talbi, the young winger may be forced to watch on from the bench for the tenth time this season after failing to hit the heights needed in the Premier League.
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