Mike Dodds defends his tactical approach after Sunderland defeat and explains what the key problem was

Sunderland boss Mike Dodds defended his decision to continue with a back five against Millwall on Saturday afternoon, saying it was the team’s quality with the ball that was the issue.

Dodds stuck with the same system deployed at Leeds and West Brom despite Trai Hume dropping to the bench after suffering with illness this week. The Black Cats struggled to create any significant chances throughout the contest, and eventually succumbed to a breakaway goal as Duncan Watmore scored on his return to the Stadium of Light.

“They play with four bodies high up the pitch and whenever you go to apply pressure, they'll just turn the ball,” Dodds said of his decision.

“We just felt taking one extra player out of the press and allowing them a bit more of the ball would make them uncomfortable, and I think it did. I think that's what made the game feel and look uncomfortable. I felt if we were better with the ball in the top end of the pitch, the set up would have made a lot more sense. In terms of the out of possession stuff I was really comfortable. People will say I went with a back five and front three but we had so much possession, it was actually a back three.

“The set up for me wasn't the issue in the game, the issue was our quality in the top end of the pitch,” he added.

“I didn't think it was a tactical issue and I've got to give Millwall credit, since Neil came in that's what they've done. They'll look at it and say they executed the game plan perfectly. I just thought the quality in the top area of the pitch wasn't good enough, regardless of the system.”

Dodds was frustrated with Millwall’s winner, saying it was exactly the kind of goal he had set up and prepared to avoid with the players over the course of the week. The goal came shortly after Dodds had switched to a back four, but the side struggled to create major chances in the latter stages and the interim head coach conceded that they had not done enough to win.

"We spoke with the group that we knew the first goal was going to be really important and it's a very poor one from our perspective,” Dodds said.

“We'd changed the shape slightly (with our substitutions) to try and get more attackers on the pitch, and the byproduct of that is that Millwall are always waiting for that one minute in transition. They've done it to so many teams since Neil Harris came back in, they're waiting for that set piece or transition. We knew that one moment was going to be so crucial and I'm angry because I spoke all week about it, it was the one moment we emptied the middle of the pitch. But we didn't work the goalie enough, we weren't quick enough or clever enough in the top end of the pitch.”