Millwall boss Alex Neil has already shown how to see off Leeds United at Elland Road.
Sunderland will travel to visit Leeds United on Monday evening, a crucial clash that will be one of the most difficult for Regis Le Bris’ side this season.
On their travels, Sunderland have been in fine form, notching two wins and a draw in their previous three games away from home, but a clash at Elland Road will require the Black Cats to reach the next level to come away with a win.
Leeds United’s home form this season has been immense, losing just one league game at the fortress that is Elland Road, with Scott Parker’s Burnley successfully implementing a smash and grab against the side currently sat 2nd in the league.
However, Daniel Farke’s side recently slipped once again at Elland Road, this time in the FA Cup as former Sunderland boss Alex Neil masterminded a 2-0 win with Millwall. Neil has spoken about how his side saw off Leeds United, and it is something that Sunderland should follow suit with.
- READ MORE: ‘One of the best’… What Leeds United boss Daniel Farke thinks about Regis Le Bris and Sunderland
Sunderland must follow Alex Neil blueprint after Millwall beat Leeds United
The Black Cats will be set for a tricky task up against Leeds United at Elland Road, but a huge victory in the grand scheme of the promotion picture is certainly not out of the question, especially with the fact that Farke’s side has recently lost to Millwall in a game that Neil’s side won 2-0.
The former Sunderland boss has revealed how he masterminded such a brilliant result, where, per Southwark News, he said: “I think the most pleasing thing for us, is how we played, how we went about it. I thought we carried a real threat throughout the game. I thought we kept the ball well in spells, which we needed to because you can’t just defend the whole match.
“When we needed to defend for those last maybe fifteen, 20 minutes, I thought we did. We’re capable of defending our box very, very well.
“I thought the first 75 minutes we carried a real threat and more importantly, we made Leeds work. We sort of gave ourselves a breather with the ball at times where we could move the ball and retain it and made them have to come out and try and get it back off.”
Millwall competed with a relatively second-string Leeds United but still had to play a certain way to compete in front of a raucous Elland Road crowd.
Regis Le Bris may divert from Alex Neil decision ahead of Leeds United clash
Sunderland boss Le Bris’ decisions surrounding his team selection have been relatively varied in recent weeks, mainly because of the switching between the Frenchman using one-or-two up front.
One man in the selection that will dictate whether the Black Cats will be set up to sit back, or look to take the game to Leeds United is midfielder Salis Abdul Samed.
Summer signing Samed has featured on occasions recently, and has often been deployed as someone who thrives at nullifying the opposition and ensuring extra cover to the defence, but in turn, means that Sunderland’s attacking threat is limited by his inclusion.
Le Bris’ decision surrounding Samed for Sunderland against Leeds will speak volumes of the French boss, and whether he will look to match Leeds United in an attacking sense at a very difficult place to visit.