One Sunderland star is actually holding the side back with his current style of play.
Despite a brilliant start to the 2024/25 Championship season, the Black Cats have undergone a sticky patch in recent weeks, with them not being able to notch a win in their previous six outings.
Sunderland’s goals have simply dried up, with the front three being able to notch just the one finished in the last three games, and it is a record that they must simply put straight in their upcoming clash against Stoke City at the Stadium of Light.
Regis Le Bris’ side will be looking to target the areas of where they need to improve in the final third, with one player in the creative transition standing out as a ‘key’ component that could currently be stagnating Sunderland when on the attack, and one stunning stat certainly proves that.
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Revealing stat suggests that Sunderland could be getting held back by Dan Neil
Black Cats midfielder Dan Neil has been a fairly consistent part of Le Bris’ side so far in the 2024/25 Championship campaign, something that is unsurprising considering the fact that he was appointed as team captain at the start of the season.
Sunderland’s midfielder has managed three assists this season, however none of them have fallen in the previous six games, which have all seen the Black Cats either fall to a defeat or held to a draw.
This recent form is somewhat unsurprising if looking at this graph that shows ‘Championship players this season for long passes per 90 and completion’, per George Massey on X. It is clear that Neil is nowhere near as ambitious as he should be with his passing, and as a result that is likely limiting opportunities in the final third for Le Bris’ side.
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Regis Le Bris’ sides lack a plan B when going behind
It is clear that Sunderland, when up against the cosh and are unable to dominate games, have struggled to really turn games around, as shown in the recent games, as well as the away defeats against Plymouth Argyle and Watford.
When things aren’t quite going their way, it appears that there is somewhat of a lack of a plan B for the side, and that has really shown in recent weeks.
Whether it is the quality of the side, or the naivety of Le Bris in being unwilling to change things, or the lack of experience in the side, or potentially an accumulation of all three, it is clear that Sunderland need to take a slightly different approach from this point going forward, otherwise the negative results will continue to fall their way.