Régis Le Bris was thrilled to see Sunderland’s Plan B pay off against Sheffield United but has warned that it won’t always be the right approach.

Amid a lengthy list of absentees Le Bris switched to a 4-4-2 on New Year’s Day, with Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor both producing exciting displays and getting on the scoresheet. While the move was partly to get the best out of the limited players Le Bris had available, he also felt it was a good strategy to pursue given how likely Sheffield United were to dominate possession in midfield.

“We spoke with the staff about many options. In the end, we thought that this shape was the better one because with the speed we had through the middle of the pitch, and with the ability we had to work hard as a unit out of possession, within the shape, we knew it could be effective. We especially thought it could work against that team [Sheff Utd] because they want to play in the middle a lot, they tend to pack out the central corridor. So, if we were able to recover the ball here, then with that speed in behind, we knew that it was a massive weapon. It was interesting to see the way it worked out.

“We did things slightly differently, and it shows that we can play on the counter-attack. We can have a very strong block to defend and recover the ball, and then we can threaten the space in behind. For us, it was a good new idea. It was like a 4-4-2 at the end, and it is a good improvement for the future because it shows we can play in a different way if we want to.”

Le Bris has hinted that he may not even retain the formation for Portsmouth’s visit on Sunday, arguing that it will be a very different game.

“Every game is always different,” he said.

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