Sunderland got the better of their North East rivals Middlesbrough this evening, and one Black Cats ace in particular proved just how good he can be.
Regis Le Bris’ men were inarguably the best team on the night at the Riverside, and the three points were just reward for their overall performance.
Goals from Dan Neil and Wilson Isidor gave Sunderland reasons to celebrate, before a late own goal delivered the win for the away team. However, one player stood out the most in the game.
From a couple of wonderful assists to sublime flicks and tricks, this was the night that Enzo Le Fee truly showed what he is capable of… and he can still get even better.
Enzo Le Fee showcased his ‘outrageous’ talent against Middlesbrough
Understandably, social media was ablaze with commendations for the French midfielder, with Sunderland fans taking delight in Le Fee’s influential display in the win over Middlesbrough.
After witnessing his man of the match performance, one fan said, “He’s just on another level”, while others described Le Fee as “outrageous” and “an absolute baller.”
However, there was a common trend among the comments, with everyone calling for Le Bris to start playing Le Fee in his preferred central role.
One fan wrote: “He is obviously the best player on the pitch and his one-touch passing and vision is miles ahead of everyone else on the pitch. He needs to be picking the ball up central”
Another added: “We are wasting one of the best signings in the past years playing out of position.” Indeed, it’s scary to think what Le Fee could do if he was played in his more natural role.
There were some criticisms of Le Fee’s game out wide, with one supporter posting: “Needs to be in the middle. Awful defensive positioning on the left; he’s leaving Dennis Cirkin on an island. Pushing up when he needs to drop n dropping in when he needs to push”
Thankfully, Le Fee more than made up for those shortcomings by providing a killer ball for Wilson Isidor’s goal, and sending in a dangerous cross for Ryan Giles to turn the ball into his own net for Sunderland’s winner.
Regis Le Bris surely has to play Enzo Le Fee centrally soon
To be fair to Le Bris, the only reason Le Fee has been playing on the left is due to injuries within the Sunderland squad, with both Tommy Watson and Romaine Mundle still missing.
Once those two players are back in action, it is almost certain that Le Fee will be moved to the middle and be allowed to exert his influence even further.
That said, in the recent game against Derby, Le Fee visibly struggled out on the left, but that certainly wasn’t the case against Middlesbrough.
As Le Fee gets sharper and more accustomed to the Championship, he will only become more and more of a threat, and that’s fantastic news for Sunderland, regardless of what position he plays.