Regis Le Bris now faces clear Geertruida call after what happened in Sunderland loss vs Man United
Lutsharel Geertruida is yet to start for Sunderland since joining in the summer.
Sunderland suffered a 2-0 defeat away to Man United on Saturday, in a game that was full of controversy.
Stuart Atwell got several big calls wrong at Old Trafford, with many claiming it exposed the bias towards the Premier League big boys.
People will have their own say on that, but Saturday’s clash against the Red Devils also exposed a huge issue that Regis Le Bris needs to address after the international break.
Arthur Masuaku was woeful vs Man United
Sunderland have been without Reinildo since his sending off in the home game with Aston Villa a few weeks ago, which opened the door for someone else to stake a claim for their place in the side.
Arthur Masuaku was the one given that opportunity once again, and he failed to take it, quite miserably.
The former West Ham defender looked like a liability from the first minute, with all of Man United’s early pressure coming from his side of the pitch.
With such an important game up next against Wolves, Le Bris simply has to bring Geertruida into the starting 11, at the expense of Masuaku.
Geertruida could feature at left-back, but the likely change would see the Dutchman slot in at right-back, with Trai Hume swapping over to the opposite side.
There is a reason Geertruida has always been so highly rated, and now will almost certainly be the time he is afforded the chance to show why.
- Read more: ‘Oh my word’ – Michael Bridges can’t believe what he saw in Sunderland loss vs Man United
What Regis Le Bris has said about Geertruida
Geertruida was signed primarily as a centre-back, but Le Bris has previously hailed his versatility, which is going to be crucial in the coming weeks.
“I believe that his best position is probably centre-back,” the Sunderland boss said.
- Right-back – 161 appearances
- Centre-back – 115 appearances
- Defensive midfield – 20 appearances
- Left-back – 7 appearances
- Right midfield – 4 appearances
- Central midfield – 2 appearances
“I think that is his main target, but he is really versatile. When we speak about positions, we speak about different roles. He can play at centre-back, but he could also play a bit wider or even in the midfield.”
So far, his only appearances have actually arrived in the midfield, though from the small glimpses we have had of him, he certainly looks as though he would do a fine job at either side of the defence.
It is a change that needs to be made before Masuaku gets exposed any further.
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