BBC pundit claims Sunderland player wasn't 'happy' with Régis Le Bris after in-game Preston call

Former Sunderland player and BBC pundit Gary Bennett has delivered his verdict on Sunderland’s strike force against Preston North End.

Head coach Régis Le Bris opted to play 4-4-2 in the Championship at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, with the game ending in a 1-1 draw after the Lillywhites had taken the lead in the second half before substitute Romaine Mundle’s stunning equaliser.

Wilson Isidor got the nod up alongside Eliezer Mayenda, who was withdrawn in the second half as Le Bris looked to alter Sunderland’s tactical shape. The move to withdraw the Spaniard came after his strike partner had missed a golden headed opportunity to hand Sunderland the lead in the first half.

After the game, Bennett noted to Total Sport that the 19-year-old did not look amused when being brought off. He said: “I thought he worked hard. He did look like a threat at times. But just look at the body language, especially when he was substituted; he was not happy. He was not happy.”

Bennett also added on Sunderland playing 4-4-2 as opposed to 4-3-3: “I think it can work. But again, you look at the two of them as strikers, and you start questioning… you look at Mayenda, the shift that he put in. I thought he worked hard. I think, at times, he caused them problems, and then you look at Wilson Isidor, and I just thought that he struggled to get into the game.

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“It’s as though you’ve got to create the opportunities. Basically, you’ve got to put it on the spot for him to finish. It’s not as though he’s going to work down the channels or work the opportunity for him to score. Whereas Mayenda, he looked bright at times. At least he caused one or two problems.”

What did Le Bris say about Mayenda after the game?

Le Bris explained his decision to withdraw Mayenda midway through Sunderland's draw with Preston North End.

Mayenda has been in excellent form for the Black Cats of late, and kept his place in the starting XI despite the return of Wilson Isidor on Tuesday night. While the decision to bring on Chris Rigg and play with a three-man midfield early in the second half was no surprise given the lack of control Sunderland had on the game, the decision to withdraw Mayenda did raise eyebrows.

Le Bris said it was mainly due to Mayenda's recent workload, and that Isidor would bring some extra energy after his recent rest from the starting XI. "Eli has played many minutes the last couple of weeks so it was my choice," Le Bris said.

"Our balance wasn't good at that moment so it was important to play with three midfielders. I had to make a choice and my choice at that moment was Wilson was a bit more fresh with a bit of extra energy.The balance of the team was better after that so it was a good choice. After that it's a question of feeling and confidence, so it was my choice [to stay with Wilson]."