View: 8/10 Hume wows again, 0% sub Mundle flops – Sunderland player ratings v Preston
Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland were held to a goalless draw at Deepdale on Wednesday where they they failed to threaten a Preston side who found themselves in the bottom three prior to kick-off.
The Frenchman made several changes to his starting lineup, only one enforced with Jobe Bellingham missing out through suspension.
The draw was Sunderland’s second in succession, following their draw against QPR at the weekend.
Here, Mackem News rates the Black Cats players out of 10 after their encounter with Preston, with the help of FotMob stats.
Simon Moore – 7
Made an excellent save in the dying seconds of the first half to keep the score level and was generally assured throughout.
Trai Hume – 8
Hume got up and down the right flank well for Sunderland and an excellent cross found its way to Connolly in the first half before seeing his effort deflected wide. The Northern Ireland international recorded a 100 per cent tackle-win percentage in the first half with an impressive seven defensive recoveries.
Chris Mepham – 6
Mepham had a troubled first half. Picking up an early yellow card for a foul on Sam Greenwood and failing to win a single ground duel out of the three he competed for. Never looked quite as solid as he has in recent weeks yet still managed to keep Preston at bay for the most part.
Luke O’Nien – 6
Occupied his usual ball-playing defensive role and kept things ticking at the back for Sunderland. Completed 83 per cent of his 42 attempted passes, many of which were high up the pitch.
Dennis Cirkin – 5
Perhaps Cirkin’s biggest attribute is his ability to overlap and get froward to aid his side on the attack and he never got going throughout. He didn’t attempt a single dribble in the first half yet looked threatening on the rare occasion he did in the second. Having only won 50 per cent of his defensive duels, Cirkin is capable of far more than he showcased against Preston.
Dan Neil – 5
Gave the ball away too often in midfield, with a 74 per cent pass accuracy. With three tackles, he completed the most in the game but Sunderland lacked massively in transition and he didnt contribute.
Alan Browne – 5
Squandered an excellent chance from a close-range free kick and generally did little in the game. Throughout his time on the pitch, the former Preston man completed just 18 passes in a game that seemed to pass him by in midfield.
Trai Hume impresses again for Sunderland
Chris Rigg – 6
Rigg’s return was timed well with the absence of Jobe but he failed to replicate some of his performances in the earleir stages of the season. He played a couple of neat balls throug the Preston backline but his impact in the wider picture was minimal, with just 33 touches in the game.
Aaron Connolly – 5 (Off for Romaine Mundle 61′)
The Irishman had barely any service throughout the first half with his only real sniff of goal coming as a result of a cross from Hume, which he saw deflected inches wide of the post. With just 11 touches and two completed passes, his impact on the game was minimal.
Tommy Watson – 5 (Off for Patrick Roberts 61′)
Played on a perhaps less familiar right wing, making his full senior debut and he did little wrong but failed to have too much of an impact on the game. While he did record a 100 per cent dribble success rate, Watson needs to be utilised on the left wing to get the most out of him.
Wilson Isidor – 6 (Off for Eliezer Mayenda 79)
Isidor had little to no impact in the first half, recording just seven touches in the 47 minutes before the break. Albeit, he also had one of Sunderland’s only four shots in the half. The Frenchman looks far more impactful when playing a central role. Made an impressive run in the early stages of the second half that led to a free kick that Browne fired far, far wide of the post.
Substitutions
Romaine Mundle (On for Aaron Connolly 61′) – 4
Mundle didnt have the desired impact when replacing Connolly, failing to complete a single dribble despite three attempts. The winger showcased his ablity in the early stages of the season but his performances in the last few games have been in stark contrast.
Patrick Roberts (On for Tommy Watson 61′) – 5
Roberts, similary to Mundle, hasnt delivered in the final third for Sudnerland for several weeks now and his subtitute appearacne was no different. He looked marginally more threatening than Mundle when coming on and had a decent struck half volley saved in the closing minutes.
Eliezer Mayenda (On for Wilson Isidor 79) N/A
Barely had a chance to have any impact on the game.
In other Sunderland news, Jack Rodwell has claimed that he was treated as a “scapegoat” during his time at Sunderland.
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