One Sunderland man must be handed a start vs Sheffield United, despite a poor recent showing vs West Brom.
The Black Cats are set to face off against Sheffield United in a top-of-the-table Championship clash, where Sunderland will be hoping to cut an end to a run of five successive draws with a win at Bramall Lane.
Regis Le Bris’ side have been somewhat under the cosh in recent time, with them not quite hitting the targets they were able to at the start of the 2024/25 Championship campaign, albeit injuries have really hampered the progress of the side.
At this moment in time, Sunderland are going into a difficult clash without winger Romaine Mundle, something that has really taken away their edge in the final third, especially after last time out in their plucky 0-0 draw against West Brom.
The draw against the Baggies brought up plenty of concerns on the attacking front, with Sunderland having more than their fair share of possession, but not making it count. One young attacker was at-the front-and-centre of that, but there are clear reasons for Le Bris to persevere with him.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris must persevere with Tommy Watson despite West Brom performance
The Black Cats have undergone a poor run of form, and the showing against West Brom certainly embodied that, and one man who was particularly wasteful that night was young winger Tommy Watson.
The 18-year-old has notched seven appearances so far this campaign, with the most recent two seeing him start for Le Bris’ side, however he was placed under the spotlight, and many fans highlighted that he wasn’t quite up to scratch for this level of football, and that the Frenchman should look elsewhere for wide options.
Despite this, there is every reason as to why he should remain in the side, and that all comes down to the brilliant abilities of Le Bris.
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Sunderland fans must trust Regis Le Bris’ track record with youngsters
There is no doubt that Watson struggled last time out against West Brom, but despite that, he still has shown glimpses of promise throughout the season, and that is more-than enough for the trust to be instilled in Le Bris to know what is best for the youngster.
As a result, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him handed yet another start in the clash against Sheffield United, and thus would certainly be understandable with Le Bris’ track record with youngsters, and the proof is in the pudding with the likes of Mundle, as well as Eliezer Mayenda.
Whether Watson is handed a start or not, Le Bris should continue to offer extra consideration towards his development as it is clear that he is a top player in the making, and there is no doubt that that will come into fruition in the near future.