AliousThree Sunderland players came under heavy criticism following their disappointing defeat to Hull City, a loss that has dealt a significant blow to their hopes of securing automatic promotion.
With Sheffield United sitting eight points ahead in second place and holding a game in hand, Regis Le Bris’ side now faces an uphill battle in their promotion push.
The match, which ended 1-0 in front of a packed 44,000-strong crowd at the Stadium of Light, was decided by a costly mistake from goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
His own goal, partially blamed on Patrick Roberts, proved to be the decisive moment in a game where Sunderland struggled to make an impact.
The Black Cats failed to rise to the occasion, with several key players putting in underwhelming performances.
Enzo Le Fee was substituted at halftime after a lackluster first 45 minutes, while Wilson Isidor saw minimal involvement as the lone striker, barely getting any service.
Young midfielder Chris Rigg also found himself on the periphery of Sunderland’s attacking play, unable to make a significant impact.
In contrast, Romaine Mundle, making his return from a long-term injury, provided one of the few bright spots after coming on in the second half.
Football analyst Justin Peach, speaking on the *Second Tier Podcast*, singled out three Sunderland players for their particularly poor performances.
He described Isidor as “isolated” throughout the game, while Le Fee was labeled “non-existent.”
Jobe Bellingham also struggled to assert himself, with Peach stating that Sunderland looked “weak” without their key players performing at their best.
While he stopped short of calling the performance a complete disaster, he admitted it was one of Sunderland’s worst showings of the year—disorganized, frustrating, and ultimately lacking any real attacking cohesion.
A key tactical concern for Le Bris moving forward is how to get the best out of Wilson Isidor.
The striker had just 14 touches throughout the entire match, with one of them coming from the opening kick-off—clear evidence that he was starved of service.
Isidor has previously expressed a preference for playing in a two-striker system, and Sunderland’s struggles in attack against Hull suggest that the current setup may not be maximizing his strengths.
If Le Bris doesn’t adjust his tactics to better support Isidor, Sunderland could continue to struggle in front of goal—potentially costing them their shot at promotion.
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