Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has highlighted two teammates for Chris Rigg to use as inspiration after uncovering a caveat.
Sunderland will face off against Cardiff City this weekend, as the Black Cats will hope to put an end to their recent woes at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats won last time out on the road against Sheffield Wednesday, with Eliezer Mayenda bagging a brace for Regis Le Bris’ side. Mayenda was one of many surprise inclusions in the Sunderland side that looked to be a stroke of genius from the French boss.
Another surprise inclusion was Alan Browne, who came in for Chris Rigg, with the 17-year-old being dropped to the bench in a league game just for the third time in the entire Championship campaign.
After his exclusion from the starting line-up, Le Bris has given an update on the midfielder as he highlights one area for him to improve.
Regis Le Bris notes area for improvement for Sunderland gem Chris Rigg as he
Ahead of the upcoming clash with Cardiff City, Sunderland boss Le Bris was asked about Rigg’s lack of involvement and the reason for him being dropped to the bench against Sheffield Wednesday, with the Frenchman highlighting the youngster’s age and the need for him to receive rest.
Per Sunderland Echo, he said: “It is a new experience for him. It is not unusual for a player like that to struggle a little bit at this stage of the season, after 35 games. We spoke together last week. He said he wasn’t happy about his game level, but I said, ‘It is normal – you just have to adjust to this new experience’. As a club and as a staff, we have to create the right condition for him to be able to recover, then I am sure he will find his best level again.”
Le Bris also highlighted Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham as players for Rigg to look up to to fix one minor issue in his game, which will undoubtedly come with time.
“With Dan and Jobe, the situation is a little bit different.
“Because of their experiences, they have learned how not to waste energy on the pitch, like you do when you are younger. I think for Riggy, we are still in that phase. Sometimes, he could maybe make different decisions that result in the same outcome, but with less energy.
“We are here to help him with that, and I hope we are able to manage all three players properly until the end of the season.”
Regis Le Bris must be careful with not overutilising Chris Rigg
Having such a crucial and talented player at 17-years-old can often prove to be a blessing and a curse for many sides, and it is certainly the case for Sunderland.
Rigg is certainly one of Sunderland’s top talents, but it is arguable to suggest that Le Bris has overutilised the youngster so far this season, having handed him 28 starts.
A crucial part of nurturing a youngster and ensuring they maximise their potential is not overworking them too early on in their career, and whilst Rigg’s qwualities warrant a starting place in the lineup every matchfay, that consideration surrounding his game time must be considered, and the fact that he was dropped to the bench for the Sheffield Wednesday win was crucial.