Sunderland do the heavy lifting before letting it slip away

When Aaron Connolly opened the scoring with a shot past Lukas Jensen after superb work from Dan Ballard, Sunderland found themselves in a strong position despite a series of injuries and suspensions which had almost completely overshadowed the build-up to this match.

In a strange affair that was suspended for some time following medical emergencies in the stands, the Lads showed plenty of verve and spark, with Tommy Watson and Eliezer Mayenda in particular providing a big threat from the wings and Connolly doing a lot of good work in the number ten position.

However, just as we did against Coventry, we began to stoop further after the break, with our approach becoming more and more passive, and it felt like it was only a matter of time before for the hosts to score their own goal, which they did. Ultimately we missed a chance to make it 0-2, Finn Azeez getting his name on the scoreboard after a quick and incisive counter from Millwall.

Is game management becoming more and more problematic? Do we see doubts creeping into the players’ minds about their ability to go all the way? We have lost key points in two successive games and although we remain in a strong position, the recent buzz seems to be fading somewhat after four poor results.

We can dispute Régis Le Bris’ use and timing of substitutions while guessing what he says at half-time, but the players really need to show the same conviction in both halves if one wants to stifle this mini-wobble. in the bud, starting with Tuesday’s visit to West Bromwich Albion.

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Chris Mepham brings together a revamped Red and White defense

Regular visitors to Roker Report You will no doubt be aware that our writers have praised the Welsh international on loan until the end, such has been his impact since arriving from Bournemouth, and at The Den, Mepham came through another Championship game with impressive ease .

He is such an elegant operator and in the absence of Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin, his calm, class and positional awareness were worth their weight in gold, and despite the frustration of conceding a late equalizer, we could hardly not to be impressed by the Welshman. performance- as well as encouraged by the return of Aji Alese.

In an ideal world we would sign him on a permanent deal if promoted, and he could be one of the key parts of our defense when we return to the Premier League.

That’s a discussion for another day, but for now it’s reassuring to be able to call upon such a capable defender, and he seems to be relishing the chance he’s been given at the Stadium of Light.

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Mixed fortunes for Sunderland’s young starlets

With a series of injuries and suspensions forcing Le Bris into something of a reshuffle, this has opened the door for some of our exciting young talent to show what they can bring, and in general the results have been promising.

After a false start at Deepdale before the international break, Tommy Watson looked much more comfortable in his natural position and was still eager to win the ball and pilot the home defense. It was a much more promising performance from the current Under-21 star, and certainly something to build on.

Introduced in the second half, summer signing Milan Aleksić showed some nice touches and made a particularly powerful tackle, and although he missed a wonderful late chance to make the game safe, it would be hard to blame him for conceding two points .

He advances in red and white; he’s clearly talented, and it was good to see him get a decent number of minutes under his belt. Aleksić is clearly seen as a long-term prospect and will no doubt be managed carefully as he continues to settle into life at the Stadium of Light.

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A great but not definitive week awaits you

Victory at Millwall would have set up clashes with West Brom and Sheffield United perfectly, but even though we will get there after dropping two more points, there is reason to be optimistic.

Albion’s visit to Wearside will coincide with the return to action of Jobe, Patrick Roberts and Trai Hume, who all missed the trip to south London due to suspension, and it will give us a little more respite in terms of selection for the match. against Carlos Corberan’s perennial playoff chasers and Chris Wilder’s imposing Blades.

Four points from the next two would be a good return and provide a real boost to our promotion credentials after poor recent results, but with the league so open and those behind us more than capable of assuming our position at the top of the championship. table, we cannot afford any let-up over the next seven days, and this is the kind of challenge that Le Bris has yet to really face since taking office.

Hopefully we can stay ahead of the chasing pack.

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