What were the positives and negatives from Sunderland's draw with Burnley?

Yesterday at 01:00 AM

The Lads left Turf Moor with a point on Friday night, but having failed to convert two penalties, it felt like a huge missed opportunity. What did our writers make of it?

John Wilson says…

A brilliant battling performance

Most people would've taken a point before kick off, so although at the end it felt like a defeat and that it played into the hands of Leeds United and Sheffield United, we need to look at this with the long term in mind, and a point at Burnley is a good one.

We more than showed we can easily live with the other top three teams.

Enzo Le Fée passes his first test

All eyes were on Enzo, and I guess it would've been easy for him to disappoint, but I think he showed plenty of class in his first game, offering us hope for better things to come.

He can play with both feet and played some very good through balls into the danger areas.

Considering this was his first game in English football, I can't wait to watch him grow and develop during the coming games.

Wilson Isidor's penalty woes

Overall he played well, but you really can't miss two penalties and not appear in the 'two down' column!

Well done for having the balls to attempt the second penalty, but I wonder what that'll do to his confidence in front of goal going forward.

Another slow start

We were under the cos for the first ten to fifteen minutes and we came through it, but by chance rather than design.

It's a totally different game if we concede early doors, so do we start so slowly?

A good point, a battling performance, but we mustn't let Leeds and Sheffield United get away.

Malc Dugdale says…

A decent away point

We played well and deserved something, and got that.

We weathered a twenty minute storm and we looked like the home team in second half.

If we end up against these in the playoffs, I'm well chilled. Nothing to worry about.

Enzo looked tidy

He tired late on but Enzo Le Fée looked very tasty for an hour.

I'd have preferred Adil Aouchiche or Milan Aleksić to come on for the last twenty minutes, or Eliezer Mayenda.

I would've have liked to have seen Le Fée take the second penalty as he's allegedly a set piece man, but it is what it is and after Wilson Isidor missed one, he was always going to want to make that up.

We take the away point, learn lessons and move on.

Two missed penalties

The first was a gift as he was well outside of the box.

I hope Isidor can bounce back and I sort of know he will.

He's a consummate pro and will make this up, and I can't wait to see him do so.

Lack of substitutes…again

I think Burnley used most of their five subs and we used fewer, and one was for Chris Mepham, who'll be a big loss.

We had the upper hand at the tail end and if we had fresh legs, we may have nicked that, and maybe a less tired player could've scored the penalty and not got done by the goalkeeper's antics.

I'd like Régis Le Bris to really rethink his policy with the bench. That was a good performance and we should've won, but he failed to help that cause with his hesitancy.

Mark Wood says…

Sunderland more than hold their own

After a shaky opening twenty minutes where Burnley came flying out of the blocks, I thought we were the better team from then on.

Burnley and Sheffield United are meant to be the biggest threats in the Championship along with the emergence of Leeds, and we've given them both games.

We were desperately unfortunate not to win here and before kick off, I would've taken a point. It shows how far we've come this year that we can feel aggrieved that we didn't win.

Enzo makes his mark

Enzo Le Fée looks like a great piece of recruitment, judging from the encouraging debut he made.

He looks like he has a good touch. He's composed and he has the vision for a pass.

The ball he played in for Wilson Isidor from out wide was a peach and his crosses had a fair whip on them, which will be a great asset to our overall play.

Penalty drama and goalkeeping theatrics

Plenty to talk about for the penalties.

Should either have been given? Probably not with VAR reviews, but we don't have VAR, so they were, and that's that. The first from Isidor was poor while the second looked more like a good save, but for me the antics of James Trafford played a huge part.

From making a meal of taking his gloves off and putting them back on to a nonsense injury before the second, he managed to waste a total of five minutes for the two penalties and completely messed with Isidor's head.

He was able to do all this because the referee allowed him to do it and it was only brought to an end when he was finally booked.

Team selection flaws?

I'm nit picking, and in Régis Le Bris I fully trust, given the way he's turned us around and almost pulled off a deserved win at our biggest promotion rival.

However, once I saw our line up and our system, I thought there was an element of not picking the players that would've suited two up top, in Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.

Instead, it felt like he wanted to play 4-4-2 but he also didn't want to drop one of Chris Rigg, Jobe or Luke O'Nien and also give a start to Le Fée, which meant he played Rigg up front, and although he tried, he's not the best fit for it.

Once Mayenda came on for him, we looked much more incisive, as seen in the move which lead to the first penalty.

Tom Albrighton says…

Let's see the bigger picture, please

Forgive my indulgence, but as an aside to the usual 'two up, two down', I'd like to break the rules with a small monologue.

Whatever happened at Burnley, it was a point we all would've taken before a ball was kicked, so when we're reviewing this match and the season as a whole, spare a thought for Wilson Isidor.

Since his arrival, he's been a breath of fresh air, a fantastic addition, and at times a scorer of fantastic goals.

His work rate is relentless. It's clear to see how well-liked he is by his team mates, and seeing some of the abuse he's received is far from palatable.

It's unfortunate and it's frustrating, but that's football. This season, Isidor has won us far more points than he's cost us, so now it's time to repay him and show him the support he needs and deserves.

Plenty of players have come through this club, not cared, picked their pay up and left.

Wilson isn't like that; none of these lads are like that. Let's not let frustration get the better of us, and let's stick by these lads through thick and thin.