Sunderland boss Mike Dodds has been told what his side’s ‘biggest issue’ was in the defeat vs Swansea City.
Sunderland sacked Michael Beale last week and placed Dodds in charge until the end of the season.
It’s a third interim spell in charge for the 37-year-old who picked up a couple of impressive wins against West Brom and Leeds United after Tony Mowbray was sacked earlier in the season.
And after back-to-back defeats to end the Beale era, Dodds made some changes to personnel and to the shape for the Swansea game.
But the changes proved helpless and Sunderland lost 2-1 against Swansea City at the Stadium of Light.
Phil Smith pinpoints Callum Styles-Leo Hjelde link as weak spot
Dan Ballard was suspended for the Swansea City game.
Jenson Seelt came into the XI but struggled to cope with the speed of Swansea’s attack, with the Swans running riot in a first 45 that could easily have seen them score four or five goals.
But journalist Phil Smith believes the problem for Sunderland lay on the other side of what was a back-five, with Callum Styles starting at left wing-back and then Leo Hjelde in the left centre-back spot.
Smith said on The Road Podcast:
“The biggest issue I think, was probably not on Ballard’s side, I think it was potentially on the other flank, where I think Styles and Hjelde; I’m not in any way giving criticism of them, I just don’t think that the chemistry was quite there yet, which you wouldn’t expect it to.
“And obviously the fact that Styles was being asked to do a bit of a hybrid role where he sort of drifted in-field in possession; because it wasn’t working for Sunderland on the ball, I think that left a lot of space for Swansea to attack.”
A new-look for Sunderland, but at the wrong time
Dodds deserves credit for making a bold call and changing the shape for the Swansea game, and then changing again at half-time when it wasn’t working.
Sunderland went into the game in poor form and something had to change. But the experiment clearly didn’t pay off and for Styles in particular, it was a tough afternoon.
It was his debut for the club and he was given a huge task in not only getting up and down the left flank, but also cutting in and providing coverage in the midfield; all of that after a month on the sidelines.
And for Hjelde playing in a new-look defence and with a new name in front of him would’;’ve been a shock to the system, especially after he looked so solid in his opening appearances.
Like Smith says though, neither player played particularly poorly. It’s just a case of this new-look side trying out a likewise shape, with Styles and Hjelde being two of the newest names in the team.
With a top six finish looking more and more unlikely, Dodds might be inclined to try out some more set ups in the final games, with a trip to Norwich City on the cards this weekend.