Talking Points: Régis turns 'Tinkerman' but Sunderland draw a blank at Deepdale

Today at 01:00 AM

Sunderland retained their place at the top of the table, but was a 0-0 draw with Preston a missed opportunity? Phil West looks at the game's main stories

Another clean sheet, but another blank in front of goal

After toiling for long periods against QPR last Saturday, the trip to Deepdale felt like a good chance for the Lads to rediscover their touch in front of goal, but Freddie Woodman enjoyed a reasonably stress-free evening in between the sticks for the Lilywhites, with a well-saved Patrick Roberts shot late in the second half representing our best chance to break the deadlock.

Pre-match, all eyes were on the Sunderland starting eleven as Régis Le Bris opted to shake things up somewhat, but it's fair to say that during the first half, we looked somewhat blunt in attack, with Aaron Connolly finding the going tough on his first Sunderland start and Wilson Isidor rendered fairly ineffectual in a new role on the left side of an attacking three.

Eliezer Mayenda's return to first team action was welcome, and it feels like he'll have a bigger role to play against Coventry at the weekend, but this wasn't our finest night in front of goal, and it made for a frustrating spectacle.

Régis Le Bris throws a selection curveball

As mentioned above, the Sunderland head coach opted for a bold strategy in terms of selection, picking both Connolly and Isidor in the starting eleven, and giving Tommy Watson his first start for the senior team for good measure. This was in addition to the return of Chris Rigg, who was absent for the weekend clash with Rangers.

It felt like an 'attack, attack, attack'-themed selection as the Frenchman attempted to oversee a strong reaction following the Loftus Road stalemate, but it's fair to say that it didn't work. Watson did not impact the game as he would've hoped, in addition to the struggles of his aforementioned teammates.

It all felt a bit laboured and disjointed from an attacking perspective in the first half, and perhaps Le Bris eventually calling on his aces from the bench was an acknowledgement that he'd perhaps got it slightly wrong initially, as we certainly looked a hell of a lot livelier with a fully-charged Romaine Mundle and Roberts bearing down on the home defence.

Not necessarily something to criticise, but perhaps a reminder that not every decision he makes will pay dividends, and that we'll sometimes perform below par as a result. That said, so significant has been his impact so far that he'll doubtless respond to this game calmly and rationally ahead of Saturday's visit of Coventry.

Jobe's absence is keenly felt

Pre-match, my main concern was how we'd cope without the powerhouse midfielder who's often influenced games to a ridiculous degree this season. His red card at QPR was certainly uncharacteristic, but it was also costly as we lacked any real bite in midfield against Paul Heckingbottom's well-drilled hosts.

Without the former Birmingham youngster, who's so good at shielding the ball, turning, and picking passes or making driving runs forward, there was a lack of cohesion and dynamism in the engine room, with Alan Browne and Dan Neil often guilty of giving the ball away cheaply or running into trouble when in possession.

This isn't a slight on those two lads, because they're both very capable players, but Jobe's rate of improvement this season has been so notable that a drop off in his absence felt inevitable, and that was certainly the case at Deepdale.

We'll simply have to do the best we can until he's back in the first team fold. In the longer term, the issue of a ball-winning, game-breaking central defensive midfielder really needs to be addressed — possibly in the shape of Salis Abdul Samed, whose fitness concerns show no sign of abating just yet.

Looking at the bigger picture

Millwall's victory over Leeds on Wednesday certainly did us a favour as it kept Daniel Farke's side at arm's length in what's shaping up to be a highly unpredictable promotion race, with Sheffield United now our closest challengers.

The Lions sinking their teeth into the team tipped by many as champions-elect might've felt like an upset, but given the wide open nature of the 2024/2025 season, was it really?

As I wrote in the aftermath of our draw with QPR, it feels as though the path back to the Premier League is going to follow a meandering and at times challenging route, with dropped points and frayed nerves simply part of the deal. This result certainly fell into the 'could and probably should've been more' category, but we can't lose sight of what's currently going well at Sunderland, of which there's a lot.

We still occupy a healthy position in the league; we're looking anything but a soft touch, and the desire for constant improvement will serve us well as the season unfolds.

Both Le Bris and the players are clearly aware of the increased weight of expectation, and I think we can have confidence that they'll raise their game for what's sure to be a keenly-fought clash with Mark Robins' visitors.