Sunderland suffered their first league defeat under the Regis Le Bris era on Saturday.
Sunderland was likely one of the most popular teams in the Championship, if not the entire Football League, leading up to this weekend.
The Black Cats travelled out to Devon to face Plymouth Argyle, carrying a perfect record with them.
Plymouth, led by Wayne Rooney, were in 22nd place in the Championship table, behind Sunderland in first place and without a win in the league as of last weekend.
Plymouth defeated Sunderland 3-2, with Patrick Roberts opening the scoring and Romaine Mundle equalising for the win.
Individual errors and bad events occurred on the pitch, including Dan Ballard’s own goal.
Despite a solid start to the 2024/25 season, fans have only criticised one or two players.
Marco Gabbiadini questions Anthony Patterson after Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Sunderland
Sunderland’s current number one player is Anthony Patterson. Despite being a key player for Regis Le Bris, the 24-year-old has faced criticism.
Patterson was chastised after a few outings last year, with his shaky distribution frequently cited as an example.
That was clear at times against Plymouth, with one occasion in which Patterson collected the ball but passed it right back to a Plymouth player.
Marco Gabbiadini, a BBC pundit and former Sunderland striker, stated on Total Sport that the custodian needs to be evaluated.
“He made a really stupid clearance.” defended brilliantly from the winger, received the ball in his hands and delivered it right back to them, and they shot within two seconds.”
Anthony Patterson may face future battle for Sunderland starting spot
Matt Young, another player at the Stadium of Light, could potentially challenge Patterson’s starting position in the future.
He is currently on loan at Salford City and might become the Black Cats’ No. 2 next season.
Patterson’s Premier League interest has lasted into 2024, which could lead to Young’s inclusion in the XI.
However, if Patterson cannot improve his distribution, he may not be able to make the jump to the Premier League anytime soon.
He is still a strong custodian, but like many others in the team, he made a few terrible decisions against Plymouth.
Le Bris expects his team to improve ahead of their match against Middlesbrough this weekend.
Read more at: https://sportupdates.co.uk
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