‘Regis Le Bris should be ashamed’ – Three things learned in Sunderland loss v QPR
Sunderland lost their fifth consecutive game with a 1-0 defeat against QPR, sparking even more concern ahead of the playoffs.
Nicolas Madsen gave the visitors the lead inside five minutes, and it started yet another miserable afternoon at the Stadium of Light.
His goal proved to be the only one of the afternoon, with QPR sealing all three points in a 1-0 victory, leaving the Black Cats starved of confidence.
Despite the fact that Sunderland had already sealed their playoff spot, fans still want to see the Black Cats at their best, but they have been far from that for weeks now, and it’s a major concern.
Sunderland need Romaine Mundle back to full fitness
With Romaine Mundle on the pitch, Sunderland have a constant threat out wide, but without him, they simply look toothless going forward.
Regis Le Bris hinted that he could be fit for the playoffs, and if so, he simply needs to be named in the starting 11 from the off if the Black Cats are to have any chance of winning a game between now and the end of May.
Enzo Le Fee has been the usual replacement, but he is unable to showcase his true ability when positioned there, with a central role far more suitable.
Black Cats are sleepwalking into the playoffs
Being a team in form doesn’t guarantee you playoff success, just the same way as being out of form doesn’t mean you are going to fail.
However, five defeats in a row is a bad, bad look for Sunderland, who have done nothing to inspire the fanbase ahead of a crucial month of football.
| Championship | W | D | L | P | GD |
| Sunderland | 21 | 13 | 12 | 76 | 14 |
Results aren’t the be-all and end-all, but performances have been dire, and unless they can suddenly flip a switch come 9 May, there are some real concerns to be had.
Of course, Southampton won the playoffs last season without the best end to the season, and only time will tell if Sunderland can somehow replicate that success.
Le Bris must be ashamed of recent displays
The Frenchman has kept his composure recently in press conferences, but deep down he must be livid at the way his side have just fallen off.
With that said, he needs to shoulder some of the blame for that with the way he has handled games since their playoff spot was sealed.
Le Bris deserves a lot of credit for the success earlier in the campaign, but also needs to shoulder plenty of the blame for the way that Sunderland have regressed in recent weeks, or even months.