Milan Aleksic has finally made his debut for Sunderland, but it didn’t quite go to plan, and Regis Le Bris will now have something to think about.
Sunderland made a number of new signings over the summer, with Regis Le Bris wasting no time in shaping the squad into his image.
Milan Aleksic was one of those new arrivals, but the 19-year-old has had to wait patiently for his opportunity in the first-team.
Aaron Connolly scored his first Sunderland goal in the 1-1 draw against Millwall, but had to come off with just over half an hour left. Aleksic was chosen to replace him, but will be disappointed to have missed a good chance to seal the win for his team.
Milan Aleksic should have been eased in by Regis Le Bris
Le Bris insisted he has just been waiting for the right opportunity to introduce Aleksic, but the youngster could arguably have made a more decisive impact against Millwall this weekend, had he had a taste of competitive football sooner.
Naturally, Aleksic is a little rusty, having spent the season on the sidelines. It figures, then, that when presented with a golden opportunity to score against Millwall, he couldn’t quite find the decisive finish.
| Statistic | Milan Aleksic vs Millwall |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 32 |
| xG | 0.23 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Touches | 16 |
| Passing accuracy | 80% |
Of all the things we learned from Sunderland’s draw against Millwall, it is evident that Le Bris should really have been giving Aleksic more minutes earlier in the season, to gradually ease him into action and lay the foundations for the player to have more impact when called upon.
Now, that experience against Millwall will be incredibly valuable for Aleksic, and he can use that as a springboard moving forward. Still, hindsight is a fine thing, and it is now glaringly obvious that the player wasn’t quite sharp enough to make his debut a memorable one.
Milan Aleksic can make a big impact for Sunderland
One thing’s for sure, the young Serbian forward can be a really useful player for Le Bris moving forward this season.
He looked lively enough in his 32-minute cameo against Millwall, putting in a good shift to cover a lot of ground, and his passing was really effective, too.
Regis Le Bris has told his players they need to improve when it comes to goalscoring, with a particular focus on killing the game when they are in control.
Once Aleksic gets more minutes under his belt and finds his rhythm, he can be a real asset coming off the bench, and could even push Wilson Isidor for a starting spot to offer something a little different.