SINCE guiding Sunderland to promotion just over a year ago, Regis Le Bris has not been afraid of making ruthless calls unaffected by emotion. Dan Neil, stripped of the captaincy within weeks of lifting the play-off trophy and sold on this summer to Rangers. Anthony Patterson, dropped before being moved on, first on loan then permanently. Patrick Roberts, sold before a ball had even been kicked in the top-flight. Time does not stand still for Sunderland’s head coach.
So, as he reflects on the 2-1 defeat at Ipswich that marked the start of his side’s second season back in the top-flight, you can’t help but wonder whether Le Bris might be sharpening his knife once more. That’s not a kneejerk reaction to one result that didn’t go Sunderland’s way, or one performance that dipped well below the standards that became well established last season. It’s more an acknowledgement that if the Black Cats are to progress again, they are going to have to make improvements to the squad and set-up that achieved so much last term. And that might mean some popular figures once again having to fall by the wayside.
Can Sunderland force themselves into the top six in the Premier League, or mount a challenge to win European honours, with Luke O’Nien at centre-half? O’Nien’s rise from League One stalwart to established Premier League performer has been one of the real feelgood stories behind the Black Cats’ rise through the divisions, and there were times last season when the 31-year-old undoubtedly looked at home in the top-flight.
He had his much shakier moments too though – most notably in the Tyne-Wear derby when his error handed Anthony Gordon an opening goal on a plate – and his struggles at Portman Road on Saturday were a stark reminder of the need for reliable consistency in the top-flight.
True, Omar Alderete made a crucial mistake of his own after replacing O’Nien, passing the ball straight to Sasa Lukic moments before Jack Clarke stroked home his 90th-minute winner. But that doesn’t lessen the impact of O’Nien’s calamitous first-half error which led to Emersonn’s opener or eradicate the image of the defender getting himself into trouble again in the second half before being booked for hauling back Julio Enciso.
If all of Sunderland’s defenders are fit, O’Nien doesn’t start. But what if injuries strike again, as they did in the second half of last season? Is Le Bris comfortable with O’Nien as one of his main deputies, or might he push for the recruitment of another centre-half before the transfer window closes at the start of next month?
“It’s clear that the mistakes were important in the outcome of the game,” admitted Le Bris. Not important, decisive.
Things weren’t a lot better at the other end of the pitch though, with Sunderland’s failure to make much of impact against Ipswich’s athletic defence, particularly in the second half, mirroring a lack of attacking creativity that was apparent on occasions last season.
Like O’Nien at centre-half, there have been moments when Trai Hume has looked perfectly adequate as a wide-attacker. There have also been games, however, when his limitations in the role have been all-too-evident, with Saturday’s defeat at Portman Road now added to the list.
When Sunderland eventually sign the wide-attacker they have spent all summer chasing, with Sporting’s Geny Catamo still a leading target, Le Bris will feel much less compelled to start with Hume in an advanced attacking position. Again, though, it might not take too many injuries or setbacks for the Northern Irishman to become the next-best option in the position. Is that a scenario that is conducive to Sunderland really kicking on?
“It’s not easy to break down a well-organised opponent with this game plan, to try to regain possession and exploit the spaces in front of you,” said Le Bris. “It was the problem of the afternoon and we didn't solve it. It's a challenge, and last season, at times, we also struggled when we had the ball, so we still have room for improvement.”
Might that improvement involve accepting that the experiment of playing Hume as an attacking forward has to end?
On the other flank, Nilson Angulo showed flashes of promise, capping a decent display with a fantastic first goal in Sunderland colours as he curled home a direct free-kick via the underside of the crossbar. The Ecuador international didn’t get an opportunity to prove himself last season, so deserves a fair crack of the whip this time around.
In a couple of other positions though, it can be argued that the time for chances has been and gone. Le Bris didn’t have a lot of time for sentiment last summer. We will see if the same is true again.
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