Sunderland gave a very mixed performance against Preston on Wednesday, both as a team and as individuals.
Sunderland weren’t at their best at Deepdale on Wednesday night, eventually drawing the game with Preston 0-0 and perhaps deserving nothing more than the one point.
Regis Le Bris rung the attacking changes within his Sunderland XI, handing first league starts to both Aaron Connolly and Tommy Watson whilst pushing Wilson Isidor to the left.
Be the changes rotational or tactical, they didn’t really work. Sunderland looked weak in attack and vulnerable at the back at times, especially in the first half where Preston really laid it on the Black Cats.
The full-backs were under threat throughout the first 45. Preston looked to cut Sunderland open and Paul Heckingbottom was ruing a possible red card in the first half, when a backtracking Chris Mepham brought down Sam Greenwood on the edge of the Sunderland box.
Mepham started a ninth game in a row for the Black Cats on the night whilst Dan Ballard returned to the bench.
Chris Mepham struggles for Sunderland in draw at Preston
Mepham has been impressive for Sunderland over the last few weeks, having put in some really standout performances in games against the likes of Hull City and Luton Town to name a couple.
He looks as though he could keep Ballard out of the XI for a while longer yet. But the Welshman arguably had his worst game so far against Preston, looking much less commanding as he has in recent weeks.
And that’s a view shared by journalist Phil Smith who gave the 27-year-old a 5/10 rating on the night, writing for Sunderland Echo: “Not as imposing as we have seen him in the first half, fortunate to get away with a couple of errors that Preston couldn’t make more of.
“Defended well through the second half with some important interventions.”
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Regis Le Bris changes didn’t help the Sunderland defence
On social media during the game against Preston, there was slight criticism aimed towards full-backs Dennis Cirkin and Trai Hume who were quite easily beaten at times.
But it was clear that having two unfamiliar wingers in front of them didn’t help. Isidor on the left and Watson on the right didn’t have the same forward and backwards connection in the side and it exposed the full-backs, which in turn exposed the likes of Mepham in the middle.
Expect a return to full strength this weekend where Sunderland welcome Coventry City who sacked Mark Robins on Thursday, with an interim set to oversee the game at the Stadium of Light.
With Romaine Mundle and Patrick Roberts back on the wings, it should have benefits all over the pitch for Sunderland, including in the heart of defence.