View: Le Bris has to rethink Aaron Connolly decision as Sunderland ace barely involved v Preston
Aaron Connolly was handed his first Sunderland start against Preston but failed to make it count as the Black Cats were held to a second successive 0-0 draw.
The Irishman has made several substitute appearances since arriving on Wearside but his first start will likely be his last as long as Wilson Isidor continues to impress.
Sunderland looked toothless in the attacking third against Preston and failed to pose a threat throughout the Championship clash.
Aaron Connolly fails to stake a claim in Sunderland XI
While the performance from Sunderland as a whole was poor, having little to no presence up front was certainly a factor. When Isidor moved centrally, things improved and it will be a process that Le Bris is considering.
According to FotMob, Connolly touched the ball an alarming 11 times in the 62 minutes he featured. Things just wouldn’t stick for the striker who failed to get into the game.
It was the fewest touches of any player on the pitch, closely followed by Isidor with 16 who struggled to adapt to playing a role out wide.
One thing Isidor has thrived at is his ability to hold the ball up and play off his attacking teammates which was again something Connolly failed to do, making just two passes in the game.
While unsurprising given his build, Connolly failed to win a single aerial duel meaning Preston were able to win the ball when Sunderland went long.
Despite that, the Irishman did have Sunderland’s best and possibly only real chance in the game, seeing a close-range effort deflected wide by Freddie Woodman after a cross from Trai Hume who impressed on Wednesday, 6 November.
The chance had a recorded xG (expected goals) of 0.48 and while it may seem harsh, Connolly will feel like he could have done more with the opportunity.
Much of Connolly’s lack of involvement was down to the overall team performance, with Sunderland failing to get a foothold at any point in the game.
The Black Cats saw only 40 per cent of the ball, creating one big chance in the clash.
With a home encounter against Coventry on the horizon, any involvement from Connolly is likely to be from the bench.
In other Sunderland news, Graeme Murty has described the experience as “invaluable” after his Under-21 side fell to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Boston United on Tuesday.
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