One Sunderland star has received criticism from fans following the draw with Preston North End.
Sunderland drew with Preston North End at the Stadium of Light, with the Black Cats being unable to capitalise on the momentum from two previous wins in a row.
The game saw Sunderland unable to capitalise on big chances, with Wilson Isidor missing yet another header, whilst Regis Le Bris’ side looked rather one dimensional in the final third.
Despite going behind from Emil Riis’ top strike for Preston North End, Romaine Mundle somewhat saved the day with an exquisite strike from the left hand side, arrowing it into the top right corner, out of the reach of the palms of former Newcastle United man Freddie Woodman.
Unfortunately for Sunderland, it will go down as two points dropped for the Black Cats, and one man’s performance sums up how off the pace they were, according to the fans.
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Sunderland fans react as Jobe Bellingham is labelled as a ‘passenger’ vs Preston North End
Following the game, Sunderland fans took to X to criticise their side’s performance, with Le Bris’ side being unable to see off Preston at the Stadium of Light.
One player that was highlighted to be far from his best was Jobe Bellingham. One fan suggested that ‘Jobe was a passenger, could count on one hand how many 1st/2nd balls he won’.
He was backed up by another fan that suggested that the 19-year-old was ‘virtually anonymous’ in the centre of the park, whilst another suggested that the midfield partnership, including Jobe, was far from brilliant, by saying ‘Neil and Bellingham have been so poor up to now, passing is atrocious’.
Another said that ‘Jobe offers nout, how does he get 90 minutes all the time, I wonder’.
The one fan that directed the most scrutiny towards the teenagers’ performance was Matt Bennett, via X, who said: “Are we going to talk about Jobe yet? He’s been anonymous for weeks. Today he was dreadful. He looks leggy, he just passed back and back and sideways and back.”
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Jobe Bellingham struggled after key Regis Le Bris tactical decision
In recent games, Bellingham hasn’t quite been at the very peak of his powers, but the draw with Preston certainly raised a few alarm bells, unlike previous weeks had.
Unfortunately for Bellingham, and Neil, they both had their work cut out for them due to Le Bris’ decision to utilise a 4-4-2 formation, leaving just two men in the centre of the park.
When defending, Patrick Roberts would sit slightly deeper, offering a third body in the centre, but it was in transition and on the offense where Bellingham didn’t quite look to be his usual self.
In Le Bris’ first season as Black Cats boss, it is understandable to still see him tinkering and trying to utilise a formation that gets the best out of every player, and whilst the 4-4-2 certainly has its advantages in utilising both Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda, it is clear that Bellingham struggles as a result.