Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris should look to move past one recent unpopular tactical decision after the Hull City defeat.
Sunderland lost 1-0 to Hull City at the weekend, as Regis Le Bris lost his unbeaten home record at the Stadium of Light.
Boos rang around the Sunderland fans shortly after the full-time whistle blew, with many showing their disdain for the performance.
Notably, the game saw French boss Le Bris shape up with an unchanged side, despite admitting that his Sunderland side looked jaded during the game, which led to some substitutions being made early on.
One man who was replaced early on surprisingly was Enzo Le Fee, who had notched successive full games since his arrival from Roma, and the Hull City defeat was the first time he had been substituted at Sunderland.
Whilst it appeared to be a bizarre move from Le Bris to bring off one of his most revered talents, it may show that he has ended one experiment that will please many fans.
Regis Le Bris may end Enzo Le Fee tactical experiment following recent Sunderland defeat
When Sunderland signed Le Fee on loan from Roma, there was plenty of anticipation over the impact he would have on Wearside. Whilst he was chucked straight into the side, starting against Burnley, he was shifted onto the left flank almost as a makeshift winger.
During his previous spell at FC Lorient, Le Bris used Le Fee through the centre, and unsurprisingly he thrived, notching 10 goal contributions in 35 Ligue 1 appearances.
In fact, according to Transfermarkt, Le Fee had only notched eight first-team appearances across his career on the left wing, again highlighting just how bizarre it has been that Le Bris has stuck with the Frenchman in this unfamiliar territory.
The defeat to Hull City looks to have maybe ended the bizarre experiment by Le Bris as Le Fee was replaced at the break, in place of Romaine Mundle, who could be crucial in ensuring that Sunderland’s headline January arrival gets played in a more familiar role.
Enzo Le Fee set to be reverted centrally as Romaine Mundle returns
Whether Le Fee has been getting used out wide for tactical purposes by the Sunderland boss, or it was alternatively done because of the lack of wide options, which makes the decision to loan Adil Aouchiche to Portsmouth even stranger, there is every hope that Mundle’s return will be crucial in ensuring that the Frenchman is moved centrally.
Mundle’s second-half involvement against Hull City showed that his lengthy spell on the sidelines because of injuries hasn’t affected his mojo, and he was Sunderland’s brightest spark, with the majority of play coming down the left flank.
We are yet to see Le Fee played centrally, and whilst he has still shown quality on the left, it seems that Le Bris’ positional decisions involving the 24-year-old are truly holding him back from showing the qualities he is capable of.
Mundle must start next time out on the left flank, and Le Fee is undroppable, so there is only one way that Le Bris can utilise them both.