AliousFour Possible Sunderland Set-Ups for This Weekend — and the Two Big Tweaks Régis Le Bris Is Weighing Up
Sunderland gear up to face Bournemouth this Saturday, hoping to respond after a flat display and disappointing outcome against Fulham.
With the Black Cats falling short in both attacking and defensive efficiency, Régis Le Bris will be scrutinising his squad carefully — not just regarding individual selection, but also overall team structure. Below, we explore his tactical possibilities, plus the specific alterations he may be seriously considering…
1. The Trust-the-Process Option
Le Bris is not a reactionary manager, and certainly not one who panics over a single below-par performance. Although the tactical blueprint used against Fulham failed to yield results, that doesn’t necessarily imply that the system itself is flawed. Sunderland’s underlying metrics that day were among their worst of the season — especially regarding shot creation and chance prevention — but that can arguably be attributed to collective individual underperformance rather than systemic weakness.
Le Bris may well choose continuity — sticking largely with the configuration that served them well in recent matches — trusting that those who dipped below standard will rebound, even against a strong Bournemouth side. Within that familiar shape, however, he still has room to refresh. Omar Alderete, now back after a full training week, could be reinstated as a natural left-footer in defence — possibly replacing Lutsharel Geertruida or shifting him over to right-back. Alderete has impressed not only defensively but also with an unexpected composure and clarity in possession, keeping things simple yet thoughtful.
His re-inclusion seems the clearest and most logical adjustment if Le Bris decides subtle reinforcement is necessary. And while Alderete hasn’t featured heavily in recent matches, a strong week on the training ground likely elevates him into selection contention.
In attack, Le Bris could also introduce freshness, with Brian Brobbey making a genuine push for his first start after steadily building fitness.
**2. Reverting to the Primary Formation — the 4-3-3**
Despite Sunderland’s beneficial recent shift toward a more defensive-minded system, Le Bris has always anchored his philosophy around the 4-3-3 — still the club’s core tactical identity. At home, this may be the appropriate moment to return to that formation. The back-five worked excellently against elite opponents like Chelsea and Arsenal and will likely be used again at Liverpool and Manchester City. But moving back to a 4-3-3 would allow an extra midfielder — perhaps by pushing Geertruida further forward, or by inserting Dan Neil or Chris Rigg.
The key decision: does adding another pressing, box-arriving midfielder outweigh sacrificing a strong extra defender in the area against Bournemouth’s dangerous forwards? That trade-off becomes tougher with Habib Diarra — crucial in early-season midfield balance — still at least a couple of weeks from availability.
**3. Injecting Attacking Spark — Fresh Legs, Faster Football**
Another intriguing adjustment would be placing Enzo Le Fée deeper into midfield, freeing Le Bris to deploy a dedicated winger. Simon Adingra has been used as a substitute recently — and although his Sunderland tenure has faltered relative to expectations, there have been flashes of creativity and threat. Chemsdine Talbi has similarly offered lively danger on the left flank, typically as a late-game impact option — or as Le Bris prefers to call it, a *finisher*.
**4. So What Will Le Bris Ultimately Choose?**
Considering squad depth and internal competition, it would be surprising if Le Bris didn’t introduce at least a modest refresh following the Fulham disappointment. But sweeping changes are improbable — stability has worked, and both the wingers and central midfield duo have been consistently strong overall this season. Alderete seems a highly plausible return option, and shifting to a back-four is firmly within consideration. Meanwhile, although Wilson Isidor has been superb this season — both scoring and pressing selflessly — this may be the optimal game to finally see what Brobbey can offer from kickoff.
Projected Sunderland Starting XI:
Roefs; Hume, Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Traoré, Xhaka, Sadiki, Le Fée; Brobbey.
Alious
