Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's FA Cup defeat and these were my key conclusions

Sunderland were knocked out the FA Cup in the fifth round by Port Vale on Sunday afternoon.

Phil Smith was at Vale Park for The Echo and these were his key conclusions...

Like all cup upsets - Sunderland's loss at Port Vale will leave scar tissue

Sunderland's rapid progress over the last 18 months, and the fact that this season is set ultimately to be more wildly successful than anyone would have dared to imagine in the immediate aftermath of that Wembley win, might spare this cupset being considered one of the club's most ignominious defeats of the modern era.

Perhaps it won't quite be remembered like that Bradford defeat which was a key factor in the unravelling of Gus Poyet's tenure as head coach, or the missed opportunity a year previous when Sunderland rotated and were knocked out by Hull City with the semi finals waiting. It probably won't be remembered like those deeply humiliating first round defeats of the FA Cup era, Jon McLaughlin rattling around the Roker End to retrieve the ball as Sunderland were dumped out by Gillingham. It would be a major mistake for the class of 2025/26 to think that this result will be quickly swept aside, though. History shows us that the FA Cup really matters to these fans and that bad defeats leave scar tissue - too many have ignored that lesson to their detriment.

And this was a bad defeat, make no mistake. Port Vale have improved under new boss Jon Brady and will no doubt pick up more points in the weeks ahead given both the spirit and organisation that was on show here. They will also enjoy a continued advantage in understanding how to play on the genuinely dreadful Vale Park surface, and yet there's no getting away from the fact that they sit bottom of League One still ten points adrift of safety. It was a golden opportunity for Sunderland to advance to the quarter final, to move one kind draw and good performance away from Wembley, and the 3,100 in the away end knew it. Sunderland simply didn't turn, the first half passing them by as they laboured across the pitch. If there was a belated understanding of both the intensity and style they needed to bring in the last ten minutes or so, then it was by then too late. Port Vale deservedly held out, and to their credit continued to offer a genuine attacking threat on the counter attack. There's a way to be knocked out of this famous old competition and this was not it.

Of course it's a defeat that needs to be placed in the context of the campaign more broadly, and particularly as a game that came after two punishing away games with a very stretched squad. There were after all ten senior absentees for this game, and that lack of bench depth told. Régis Le Bris and his squad have taken this group of supporters on the most incredible journey but here they didn't look to play with a sense of understanding or appreciation of what at stake. The post-match reaction did little to challenge the view that it didn't hurt as much as it should have. It was a really bad day that raise the pressure on Sunderland's upcoming league games - they have to show a response or this performance and result will be quickly revisited.

Le Bris's XI didn't deliver - but one-dimensional performance was tough to watch

You could see that the Vale Park pitch had been a big part of Sunderland's preparation, as it was notable from the off that they were reluctant to try and punch the ball through the lines and into the middle of the pitch where the hosts were waiting to pounce on any bobbles or understandably poor touches. But it's a damning reflection of Sunderland's performance that only once in the first half did they successfully play a ball over the top to an onrushing player in blue, Habib Diarra chipping wide from Omar Alderete's pass.

Sunderland tried at times to be direct which was understandable in the conditions, but for an hour were doing so with one isolated centre forward and two wingers struggling to impose themselves on the game. Only in the last fifteen minutes or so did Sunderland look set up for the reality of the challenge they faced, and by then Port Vale were in control of the contest.

It might be harsh to judge Le Bris's attacking set up in these conditions but Sunderland have always struggled to make the running when they dominate possession and this was another example of it here. Sunderland will no doubt improve when they have Xhaka, Mukiele and Brobbey back in the fold but looking at the long-term development of this side, it is abundantly clear where significant improvements need to be made.

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Injury and suspension crisis created an opportunity few were able to take

You can sometimes feel a little bit for players who are chucked in after weeks without regular football in cup games. A combination of match fitness being low and large-scale rotation leaving players either out of position or part of unfamiliar partnerships can create an environment where they are destined to fail at least to a degree. The narrative then becomes that they aren't good enough and that the head coach has had their case made for them. Chuck in a pitch where it was almost impossible to play fluid football and you can see why this wasn't an easy assignment for some of Le Bris's XI here. And yet what they produced fell well short right across the pitch - a lack of quality is one thing but a lack of energy and intensity another entirely. The brutal reality is that Le Bris will have an easy selection this week, with the likes of Trai Hume and Noah Sadiki coming straight back into the XI. Those who drop out can have no complaints - right across the board this was a huge opportunity and they didn't take it.

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