A strong response is needed after Sunderland's first league loss of the season

09/16/2024 01:00 AM

After a frustrating day in the South West, all roads lead back to the Stadium of Light and a clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday. Can we put this defeat behind us?

Rough n'ready Scouser 3, Cultured and eloquent Frenchman 2.

That was the outcome down at Home Park on Saturday as Wayne Rooney's Pilgrims (doubtless fired up by some fighting words from their gaffer ahead of the game, which were eventually justified) brought our four-game league winning run to a frustrating halt in a game during which we took the lead, let it slip, fell behind, got back on level terms, and eventually succumbed to a late Plymouth winner.

For Régis Le Bris, this was alien territory; a first league defeat of a campaign that's started in such promising fashion, with a new style of high-octane football paying dividends early doors but not quite reaching the same heights against Argyle, and some costly individual mistakes proving our undoing as four straight wins didn't become five.

Naturally, the questions flew on Saturday night as we mulled over the loss.

Was this a classic example of 'typical Sunderland'? Had the international break come at the wrong time? Is there some kind of curse that links 'manager of the month' awards to defeats after the trophy has been handed out?

For me, Saturday's defeat wasn't borne of complacency, award-related jinxes, momentum-sapping international breaks, or a lack of application.

Instead, we simply paid the price for a midfield display that lacked the kind of dynamism and cohesion we've come to expect this season, a slight lack of authority and conviction in the physical exchanges, and for a series of errors at the back that can't become habitual if we're to shake this loss off, starting with the visit of Middlesbrough on Saturday.

In an open league where even the strugglers see clashes with Sunderland as a chance to shine and to pick up points, you always run the risk of tripping up, and that's what happened.

All three goals were soft (the first being particularly unfortunate as Dan Ballard couldn't avoid a volley that cannoned off the bar and in via an unfortunate ricochet off the Northern Ireland international, and the second and third eminently avoidable) but there's nothing that went wrong on Saturday that can't be fixed, and that's heartening.

Upfront, there was no lack of effort from Eliezer Mayenda, but was this the kind of game where a more rugged and aggressive centre forward who relishes the chance to get stuck into opposing defenders would've been best utilised?

Mayenda will certainly continue to improve and add to his goal tally, but we do need to be able to change the point of attack at times this season, so is Wilson Isidor the man for that?Let's hope the murmurs about him being as adept up top as he is on the left wing are true, because placing too heavy a burden on Mayenda's young shoulders could be hazardous.

In midfield, Dan Neil's return to action wasn't what he would've hoped for as it didn't quite click for the newly-appointed Lads skipper, and whether the experience of Alan Browne puts him in pole position to start on Saturday will be interesting, but that's not a bad conundrum for Le Bris to grapple with.

On the other hand, Romaine Mundle's stock continues to rise after another lively display and well-taken goal. Patrick Roberts getting off the mark was hopefully a sign of things to come, and despite fading somewhat in the second half, Chris Rigg sprinkled some stardust on another league game, lighting up Home Park with skill and swagger in abundance and showing that he can indeed do it on a temperate afternoon down in the West Country.

Le Bris, as we've come to expect, spoke extremely well after the game.

Enigmatic by nature but calm and composed to boot, it's obvious that standards are at the heart of everything he does and that he expects his young charges to move past this loss and to ensure they're ready for Middlesbrough.

Not getting too giddy in victory has been one of Le Bris' hallmarks this season, and the buildup to the Tees-Wear showdown will be a good test of the Frenchman's ability to rally his charges, pick them up after a loss (something I suspect won't be too difficult, given the exceptional attitude demonstrated by the players so far) and to ensure we're mentally plugged in when Michael Carrick brings his team up the A19.

Post-Middlesbrough, some tricky-looking fixtures await in the shape of Watford, Derby and Leeds United, so as the dust settles on a first league defeat of a new era, this exciting group of players need to show they're capable of marking their return to home turf with a victory, and I've got every confidence they'll do just that.