Milan Aleksic ‘hung out to dry’ after what happened in Norwich v Sunderland
Milan Aleksic was afforded only his second start at Sunderland against Norwich, but Regis Le Bris got it totally wrong with what he asked the 19-year-old to do.
Sunderland have their sights set on playoff success, and with that in mind, rotation has become integral for Le Bris.
The Frenchman made several surprise changes for their clash with Norwich, leaving many fans baffled at some of the decisions, and based on the first half showing, those concerns seemed warranted.
One of those decisions saw Aleksic start on the right wing, and it’s unlikely to be an experiment made by Le Bris ever again after Sunderland were held to a 0-0 draw.
Sunderland struggle to pose a threat v Norwich
The first 45 minutes were painful from a Sunderland perspective, and it didn’t improve much in the remainder of the game.
The Black Cats lacked any attacking threat, and much of that was down to Aleksic‘s display on the right flank, which, through little fault of his own, was pretty dreadful.
Via FotMob, the Serb completed just 56 per cent of his 18 attempted passes, failing to create a single chance in the 68 minutes he was on the pitch.
| Championship | W | D | L | P |
| Sunderland | 21 | 13 | 7 | 76 |
None of his four attempted dribbles ended with success, while his only attempted cross failed to reach its desired target.
From a defensive point of view, he was fairly ineffective as well, winning just 25 per cent of his eight ground duels.
Sunderland seal playoff spot despite concerning display
Sunderland were fairly dreadful against Norwich, though the point secured is enough to have confirmed that they will finish inside the top six.
However, if Le Bris’ side are to progress further than that, significant improvement will be needed.
The Wearsiders have lacked a threat in all of their recent encounters, though they have found a way to win, but that may not be enough against more superior opposition in the playoffs.