Phil Smith: My key conclusions after watching Sunderland's defeat to Blackburn Rovers

Sunderland fell to their third defeat in a row against Blackburn Rovers at the Stadium of Light on Monday.

Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and these are his key conclusions...

SUNDERLAND NEED A LIFT

It was hard not to feel a pang of anxiety when the teams were announced an hour before kick off. Régis Le Bris had warned he would continue with his rotation policy but this was perhaps the most extreme example of it yet. Seven changes, a raft of players out of position and a full league debut in the case of Joe Anderson. While Blackburn Rovers had endured a torrid few weeks around the time John Eustace's departure for Derby County, they came into this game in improving form and with clear signs that they had turned the corner under new boss Valérien Ismaël. It felt like there was the potential for this to turn into a morale-sapping afternoon for the home supporters.

It did, to an extent, but it's worth starting by saying that a lot of those who took to the pitch did themselves credit. Sunderland were the better team in the game, underlined by the fact that Blackburn Rovers had just one shot on target. Anderson handled the ball well at left back and Harrison Jones was excellent on his second league start. Much of Sunderland's play was good, undone by a lack of conviction and confidence in the final third.

From a Sunderland perspective, the major concern is that the inability to create big chances didn't really change even when Le Bris brought some of his more established players onto the pitch for the final half an hour. While Le Bris's decision to rest and rotate after such a small group of players took on such a heavy workload through the first three quarters of the season has been understandable, but the lack of confidence in the final third over the last few weeks is undoubtedly a worry. So too is the fact that even those who agree with the general policy of protecting players for the play-offs and bringing others up to speed will have left the Stadium of Light feeling flat again on Monday.

Put bluntly, for understandable reasons it has been a bit of a chore to follow Sunderland of late and that needs to change starting this weekend. A stronger and more familiar XI needs to bring greater intensity and hopefully a much better attacking rhythm, so that by the time the regular season ends that feel good factor and positivity is back on Wearside.

Fans may be reassured that Le Bris accepted this entirely in his post-match press conference, confirming that his rotation will slow considerably for the next two fixtures. That will hopefully start to see the confidence begin to flow again, though it should be said that Le Bris also needs helo in terms of personnel.

Anderson did well here but given how much Sunderland rely on their full backs for attacking threat, the absence of a full back comfortable overlapping the winger and driving forward has been noticeable in Dennis Cirkin's absence. Trai Hume's return on the other flank will help, but minutes for Cirkin between now and the end of the campaign (which Le Bris is confident remains likely) is crucial.

TOMMY WATSON TAKES A TENTATIVE STEP FORWARD

Sunderland backed Watson ahead of this game after what had been a difficult afternoon at Bristol City, with Le Bris appealing directly in his pre-match interview to supporters to stick with the winger. The 19-year-old and the furore around his imminent move to Brighton was at risk of becoming a major distraction to Sunderland's season but the club don't feel they can afford to sideline him given Romaine Mundle's ongoing absence. Le Bris still feels Watson can have an impact in the play-offs, albeit most likely from the bench, and is determined to keep him involved.

So it was over to Watson, really, to deliver a performance that showed he was still committed to the cause. And while there was no goal or assist, there was undoubtedly an improvement. The intensity was far better and much of Sunderland's best attacking play came through his work. Had Sunderland's movement in the box been better, he might well have walked away with an assist.

While there were still a smattering of boos when Watson was replaced in the second half, there was significantly more applause from the home support. Watson has set the base now in terms of the level of application and intensity, and Le Bris will hope that it has calmed the situation moving towards the play-offs.

HARRISON JONES IS PUTTING HIMSELF IN A STRONG POSITION FOR A CRUCIAL SUMMER

Jones hadn't quite hit his best level in his full league debut, with perhaps some understandable nerves taking hold. This was a much better reflection of a young player who has made major strides behind the scenes this season and forced his way onto the pitch with his consistency in training. It's been an excellent campaign for the 20-year-old who has put himself in a far stronger position ahead of what will be an important summer.

When pre-season begins he'll likely be in the first-team fold and there may well be midfield vacancies for him to compete for. Regardless of how Sunderland's summer develops, this was a performance that will catch the eye of EFL clubs. If he keeps up this level of hard work and improvement, he has a strong chance of forging a good league career.

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