I watched Sunderland draw at Preston North End and here's four conclusions I drew

Sunderland were held to their second 0-0 draw in four days at Deepdale on Wednesday night.

Phil Smith reported live from the game and here are his key conclusions from a Sunderland point of view...

A DIFFICULT NIGHT AT DEEPDALE

"Maybe we were a bit lucky," Le Bris admitted afterwards.

Though there was some debate over whether Paul Heckingbottom was right to allege that Chris Mepham should have been sent off for his challenge on Sam Greenwood five minutes into the game, it was hard to argue with the assertion from the Preston North End boss that his team had created the better chances in the game.

Preston registered an XG of 1.6 across the 90 minutes, with Sunderland's coming in under half of that at 0.73. What's more, over half of that tally came from one Aaron Connolly effort when he slid to meet Trai Hume's cross at the front post late in the first half.

Sunderland were outplayed through that opening 45 minutes, with Le Bris candidly admitting that they had been unable to get their press right. In truth, though, Preston were also unable to offer very little after a shot from the edge of the box that whistled over the bar in the 55th minute. In fact they had just one shot inside Sunderland's box through the entirety of the second half, and that was an effort that never troubled Simon Moore.

Sunderland laboured to create chances throughout, but their defensive structure in the second half was better. By the end it looked like a game between two very tired teams, neither of whom appeared likely to get on the scoresheet. Sunderland were undoubtedly fortunate to get to half time unscathed, but it wouldn't be right to say they were dominated from start to finish.

LE BRIS'S SELECTION SURPRISE HAS MIXED RESULTS

Le Bris has barely rotated his side this season, constantly stressing the importance of stability and building partnerships as he implements his game model.

There have been signs of late, however, that he is trying to integrate the players catching his eye in training and three consecutive substitute appearances for Leo Hjelde reflected that. Perhaps it shouldn't have come as such a surprise as a result that he sprung some changes here, with both Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle dropping to the bench. Given how poorly Sunderland performed in the first half, it's tempting to say that this was a mistake and particularly because there was such a notable improvement when both those players were introduced in the second half. Perhaps with the side already unsettled by the absence of Jobe Bellingham due to suspension, removing another two core players from the XI was a step too far.

Yet Le Bris made the point afterwards that this is exactly why he had to rotate. He cannot rely on the same 12 or 13 players across a 46-game season and it's imperative to keep a bigger squad of players match fit. He also needs to develop some new partnerships on the pitch, capable of sustaining the levels we see when the likes of Mundle and Cirkin and Rigg and Roberts combine.

WATSON RETHINK NEEDED?

One aspect of Le Bris's selection that did raise eyebrows was the deployment of Tommy Watson on the right wing. We shouldn't be too quick to draw conclusions from his performance; Sunderland's struggles in the first half meant he saw very little of the ball in the areas where he can take players on and do damage. There were some bright moments from Watson and at no stage did he look out of his depth. But it's hard not to think that he would have better playing in the left-wing role where has been so effective for the U21s, driving infield to shoot or cross on his stronger right foot. The logic was that Wilson Isidor was a big goal threat and more obviously so off the left, but it just felt as if Watson wasn't being given the best chance of success.

There is of course another point here to the rotation debate, and that is the ongoing absence of some key figures who offer far more natural alternatives in positions where depth is light. Le Bris could really do with Ian Poveda and Salis Abdul Samed being available on a regular basis, for example.

AWAY PERFORMANCES CAN IMPROVE - BUT NO NEED FOR PANIC

There's no doubt that Sunderland have fallen short of their best performances in the last two games and in particular in the final third, where they have struggled to pose anywhere near the same threat we have seen from them at times this season. It feels at times as if they are struggling to find the right balance in their game, always looking to try and break at pace but as a result too often losing the ball and then control of the game.

A little bit of perspective is certainly required all the same, with Sunderland in the middle of a brutal stretch of games that has seen them play four of five games away from home. They also hold the best away record in the division as things stand, something reflects how much stronger teams are on home turf right across the board in the second tier this season. Plymouth, QPR and Preston have all impressed against the Black Cats despite their position in the table, with the latter two in particular showing they are two well coached, well organised teams just lacking a bit of quality and composure in the final third.

Le Bris himself noted how much he feels Preston have improved since the opening weeks of the season. This is a brutally competitive division and Sunderland's home form puts them in a good position. They need to improve on these last two performances, without a shadow of a doubt, but they could yet prove to be important points.