When luck strikes, it stays with you. And Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris surely believed he got away with a tactical blunder in the Black Cats’ strange draw with Leeds United on Friday night.
The coach could thank a familiar face for Sunderland’s unbeaten home record.
Despite a poor start at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland maintained their three-point lead over Leeds United, thanks to a blunder by former FC Lorient reserve Illan Meslier.
Meslier’s terrible mistake, which occurred with 97 minutes remaining, must be seen to be believed. Words do not do it justice, and neither do images.
Even after several repetitions, it is nearly hard to figure out what exactly happened. Or, what Meslier was trying to accomplish in the first place.
Regis Le Bris credited both his one-time shot-stopper and Sunderland’s tactical understanding for the team’s stunning recovery from a period when Leeds appeared to have the upper hand.
Regis Le Bris says he made a mistake in Sunderland vs Leeds United clash
“We got off to a strong start and maintained possession. We were able to create numerous imbalances (for Leeds) as well as scoring opportunities. Then, I believe we battled out of possession,” Le Bris told reporters at full-time.
“We chose to play in a 5-4-1 formation, and I believe that was the wrong decision. It was challenging to defend our box while applying pressure.”
Sunderland’s midfield was praised as ‘fantastic’ following Jobe Bellingham’s goal against Derby County.
The baby-faced trio of Dan Neil, Chris Rigg, and Jobe Bellingham struggled to get into the game after Joel Piroe cancelled Rigg’s early opening. That was until Le Bris switched to a 4-4-2 system, and the manager praised his players for their ability to make those in-game adjustments.
“After the first goal we decided to play with a 4-4-2 shape,” according to Le Bris. “And I believe it was better. Most of the time, we dominated possession.
“[But] we did not provide many opportunities. I believe weariness was a factor in the second half of the game. We wanted to play, but finding a solution proved challenging.”
Leeds boss Daniel Farke has mixed feelings after Black Cats match
Daniel Farke, Leeds manager, was full of praise for Sunderland ahead of the encounter.
And, while the German was clearly frustrated by the way the hosts snatched a point in the end, a draw away to the Championship table toppers has its advantages. Especially given Leeds’ own midfield woes, with both Ethan Ampadu and Ilya Gruev injured.
“Every other opponent has lost here. Today, the focus of our game was different. “It was difficult for our players,” Farke remarked, introducing Ao Takana and Joe Rothwell as a new midfield pairing.
“We always had Ampadu and Gruev as defensive midfielders in there to win back the ball. We played with two ballers today. Two of the league’s top midfielders in terms of passing.
“They may be difficult to play against when they have the ball. We couldn’t go for quick transitions because we didn’t have the defensive machines to recover the ball.”
Read more at: https://sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply