James Copley: Fulham exposed clear Sunderland tactical problems Régis Le Bris must now solve

Sunderland got the result they needed against Fulham, but nobody should pretend this was anywhere close to their best. For long spells they were slow, predictable and short of ideas in the final third, before Régis Le Bris changed the game from the bench and Wilson Isidor found the winner.

Though there are a host of positives: Sunderland kept a clean sheet, gave Fulham no shots on target and showed the resilience that became such a feature of last season. But the performance offered an early reminder that this campaign will ask different questions of them.

Teams are treating Sunderland differently

The biggest tactical point was Fulham's approach. Sunderland had 54 per cent of the ball at half-time but an xG of only 0.07, which summed up how little they created despite seeing plenty of possession. Fulham were quite happy to let Sunderland have the ball in deeper areas. They did not jump aggressively onto the centre-backs, did not leave huge spaces behind their midfield and refused to give Sunderland the game they wanted.

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Last season, Le Bris' team were excellent when opponents pressed. Sunderland invited pressure, played through it and suddenly found themselves attacking open grass. Fulham largely took that away. Sunderland are not the surprise Premier League newcomers anymore. Opponents have a season of footage and data on how they build attacks, where the rotations come from and which spaces they want to attack. This is the next puzzle for Le Bris and his players.

Can Sunderland force openings when the opposition sit off? On this evidence, there is work to do. The buildup was often too slow, and there was not enough movement beyond the ball. As my friend Jason Jones said to me at half-time, it had become a bit of a "stodge-fest".

Hume needs the right balance around him

I love Trai Hume as a player. His work-rate, tactical intelligence and flexibility are massive assets, and there will be plenty of games when using him on the right wing makes sense. One moment in the second half showed the downside. Enzo Le Fée had possession and needed a winger to sprint down the touchline, stretch Fulham and give him a simple forward pass. Hume's instinct was to come inside instead.

That is not Hume doing anything wrong. He is a defender being used in an unusual attacking role because Le Bris values what he gives Sunderland without the ball and inside the pitch. He is never going to make every movement a natural winger would.

The issue becomes more noticeable with Thomas Meunier behind him rather than Nordi Mukiele. Mukiele brings power, pace and overlapping running, so Sunderland still have somebody attacking the outside lane when Hume drifts centrally. With Meunier and Hume together, the right side can become narrow. After Nilson Angulo and Brian Brobbey went off, Sunderland did not have a recognised winger on the pitch at all. Against a compact Fulham side, that felt strange, but it ended up working!

Le Bris got his changes right

For all of that, Le Bris deserves credit. Sunderland were poor at the start of the second half and needed something different. Habib Diarra and Isidor came on after 64 minutes, and the game changed. Suddenly there was more speed and directness. Isidor hit the post after Le Fée broke down the left and delivered across goal, then scored from an almost identical chance from the opposite flank after Diarra drove forward and supplied the assist.

Diarra's cameo was excellent, which made his late injury cruel. He had given Sunderland exactly what they were lacking before appearing to hurt his leg and being replaced by Chris Rigg with seven minutes remaining. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

I also felt for Chemsdine Talbi. Sunderland supporters were chanting his name while he warmed up and it was easy to understand why. The game looked made for a natural winger who could stay wide, attack his full-back and inject some pace into a slow contest.

Talbi remained on the bench and Le Bris was vindicated because his chosen substitutes won the game. Still, there will be afternoons this season when Talbi's one-against-one ability is exactly what Sunderland need against sides who defend this way.

There is much more to come

Romaine Mundle nearly added another late goal, and I wish his chance had gone in. After the injury problems he has worked through, it would have been a brilliant moment and another reminder of the attacking options Le Bris has available. That is the most encouraging thing to take away. Sunderland were nowhere near their best and still won. Several players are capable of much more, combinations are still developing, and the squad could yet change again before the deadline.

This team has another level in it right now. Le Fée can influence games more consistently, Diarra looked dangerous immediately, Talbi has barely been seen, and Mundle is only just returning. Sunderland also have the tactical flexibility to change shape and personnel when the first plan is not working, and that is before any new players are signed.

So take the win, but do not overstate the performance. Sunderland were good for the final 15 minutes and poor by their own standards across much of the afternoon. The fight was there, the clean sheet was deserved, and the substitutions worked. Now comes the interesting part. Sunderland have shown they can beat teams when the game becomes stretched. The next step is learning how to hurt teams who refuse to let it.

Your next read: James Copley’s Sunderland notebook: Major behind-the-scenes changes, Matt Craddock impressions and Harrison Jones