Sunderland may have to bench their fourth and tenth players following the Saints’ loss.
Mike Dodds, the temporary manager of Sunderland, is yet to regain his first points after the team suffered another Championship setback against Southampton.
Sunderland fought hard against Russell Martin’s promotion-chasing Saints at St. Mary’s, but ultimately fell 4-2 to the South Coast hosts, despite Sunderland’s occasional spark.
Abdoullah Ba had a terrible day at work when it came to assessing the numerous underperformers from a Black Cats viewpoint, another performance for the French midfielder to remember as a low point in an already disappointing season for the 20-year-old.
Abdoullah Ba’s performance vs Southampton in numbers
Dodds eventually made the incorrect choice in bringing Ba back into the starting lineup for this match against Southampton, as the Sunderland number 17 struggled throughout.
The interim manager is still unsure of his best lineup, as he struggles to put together a winning team following four consecutive defeats since replacing Michael Beale.
| Dodds’ record as interim manager since Beale’s sacking | |
|---|---|
| Match and comp | Result |
| Southampton v Sunderland – Championship | 4-2 loss |
| Sunderland v Leicester City – Championship | 1-0 loss |
| Norwich City v Sunderland – Championship | 1-0 loss |
| Sunderland v Swansea City – Championship | 2-1 loss |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | |
Furthermore, Ba failed to register a single accurate dribbling attempt at St. Mary’s, despite making five weaving runs and winning only two of his 14 duels throughout the game.
In his post-match analysis, Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith gave Ba a 4/10 rating, claiming that he “didn’t look comfortable” on the left wing against Martin’s side.
Unfortunately for Ba, this isn’t an isolated performance; it’s consistent with his season thus far for Sunderland, with the young midfielder turning in more poor performances than promising ones recently.
Abdoullah Ba’s Season in Numbers
Ba is probably another youngster at the Stadium of Light who has been thrust into the first-team limelight too early, with his equally inexperienced colleagues Mason Burstow and Jenson Seelt, all 20 years old, suffering in the Championship this season.
The promising midfielder has shown signs of why he has been thrust into the senior fold by the likes of Beale and Mowbray alongside Dodds in the present, starring against Stoke City in late January with a goal and an assist in the 3-1 win. However, he has been a notable underperformer in Sunderland’s demise down the division.
In Dodds’ debut game as temporary manager against Swansea City, Ba lost control 11 times and struggled to provide support for Nazariy Rusyn.
Furthermore, the French inventor was penalized for offside twice, despite breaking through to punish the Swans.
Dodds will have to decide which players deserve to be in his starting lineups, with Ba concerned that he would be moved to the bench again for Sunderland’s next encounter against Queens Park Rangers.
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