Depending on your perspective, this week has been either a positive one for Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland or a hint at a potential drop-off.
That 0-0 draw with Queens Park Rangers felt underwhelming on paper, but is made a little more impressive when you consider that the Black Cats played the final half hour in West London with ten men after Jobe Bellingham’s sending off.
A second successive stalemate coming four days later at Preston North End, meanwhile, does see the gap at the top of the table stand at just two points. But it also extends Sunderland’s unbeaten Championship run to seven games, while ensuring they joined Sheffield United at the top of the clean sheet standings with nine apiece.
Regis Le Bris has praised the performances of Simon Moore in Anthony Patterson’s absence. The veteran goalkeeper stepping up impressively when called upon in recent weeks.
And, as a largely dominant Preston side racked up the shots – 11 before the break alone – Sunderland needed Moore to roll back the years. Emil Riis lined up a curling effort from outside the error, with the 34-year-old glovesman at full stretch to push it away.
Simon Moore helps Sunderland avoid Preston North End defeat
Le Bris, who admits that his Sunderland side had been left vulnerable to attempts from range as they looked to prevent Preston from packing the penalty area, was quick to credit Simon Moore’s importance as Sunderland avoided the same fate as fellow promotion challengers Leeds United in midweek.
“It’s very important. You need your goalkeeper to make saves because you can’t protect everything,” Le Bris says post-match.
“We struggled to apply pressure because of their direct play. Then we changed our shape to limit those long balls and the second balls, so it was possible to face long shots. In that case, we know we have a good goalkeeper to make that kind of save.”
As Leeds lost 1-0 at Millwall, Sunderland have now moved four points clear of Daniel Farke’s side.
The gap between themselves and Sheffield United stands at just two, however, ahead of a meeting between the Blades and the Black Cats at the end of November.
Sunderland also have Coventry City, Millwall and West Brom to come before then. A four-game spell which could go a long way to proving whether or not Le Bris’ team are the real deal in the title race.
Regis Le Bris explains why he dropped Patrick Roberts
Le Bris, meanwhile, defended his decision to rotate the Sunderland frontline. Patrick Roberts was dropped to the bench while Aaron Connolly and Tommy Watson started and Wilson Isidor was shifted out to the wing.
Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom applauded Romaine Mundle for the way he has helped Sunderland move on from Jack Clarke over the summer, but he too was handed a spectator’s brief at Deepdale.
“We are not happy because this was not the performance that we wanted to execute. But, in the end, it is a point,” the former FC Lorient coach adds after Le Bris set Sunderland a title-winning points target of around 90.
“It’s a long league with many games in the week. We’ve to manage the team and the squad and give opportunities to other players because we’ll need them for sure.
“We need to also manage the others as they can get tired and we need them in the best shape. We know that [Roberts is] a big strength that we miss for sure. But it was expected that the last 30 minutes were for him, and I think we changed the dynamic of the game in that moment.
“[Isidor] is a young player and he needs the opportunity to learn [to play out wide] He worked for the team. Obviously, it wasn’t the best performance we can expect from him but it’s just normal because he needs time.”