Phil Smith's verdict: Inside another day of on and off-pitch frustration as the challenge for next Sunderland boss is underlined

Grant Leadbitter spotted a heavy touch in the Burton Albion midfield and stepped up to pounce.

The ball broke for Elliot Embleton and Sunderland's attacking midfielder looked to drive into space. Ahead of him was, well, really nothing much.

Danny Graham was isolated, and though Denver Hume looked to break down the left, it was too late.

So the move slowed, and the ball went backwards.

Sunderland's counter-attacking threat is minimal and once again, their attacking play was too reliant on crosses from wide areas.

They controlled this contest, but were unable to turn that dominance of possession and territory into clear cut chances.

Jake Buxton's side, who had the worst defensive record in the division heading into the contest, were comfortable.

Happy to sit deep and absorb the pressure, happy for the Black Cats to have the ball near the halfway line.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, first-team coach and interim boss Andrew Taylor had resisted the temptation to make significant changes to the structure of the side, and perhaps that was fair given the drama of the 48 hours previous and the extremely limited preparation time.

Embleton's introduction was one of only two changes, with Max Power also called in to replace Chris Maguire.

Sunderland looked narrow and pedestrian, and it was not until Taylor's changes that they began to put the visiting defence under significant pressure.

That was forced by a major error from Remi Matthews. Joe Powell's effort from the edge of the area was Burton's first from open play, and should have been comfortably dealt with.

Sunderland did improve from there, Taylor bringing on Maguire and Will Grigg as part of a switch to a 4-4-2 system.

Though still too slow in their movement in parts, the change did at least allow them to get more players in front of the ball and as more questions of Buxton's defence.

When the goal came, it was a fine cross from Hume and an excellent late run from Max Power, who looked more comfortable now that he had the freedom to attack the box from deep.

Afterwards, Taylor conceded that in an ideal world, his side would have been able to play with far greater fluidity and far more movement.

He offered, not unreasonably, the upheaval of the weekend, Burton's limited approach and the lack of training-ground time as reasons why this perhaps didn't happen.

He also insisted that this was a squad more than capable of going on to win promotion.

This has served as an interesting debate in the aftermath of the game, on another night when the Black Cats had missed a significant opportunity to make up ground in the race for the top two.

A new manager will inherit a squad with plenty of depth (and this should still be key over the course of the winter), but not a great deal in the way of variety.

There is an obvious lack of pace that limits the attacking options, and yet the final twenty minutes also underlined that there is a lot more to come from this squad than what we have seen in the last six weeks.

This is far from a perfect squad, but in this division there should be more than enough attacking quality to test opposition goalkeepers more than we have become accustomed to.

The shape and system is of course one part of it, and one of the immediate priorities for any new manager must be the speed of the build up and a focus on getting more players in the final third.

In the latter stages Grigg and Power looked a threat, without greatly sacrificing the team's structure off the ball.

It felt like a day that encapsulated the frustration with which Sunderland fans are having to experience this season from afar.

In the early afternoon, there had been widespread excitement a deal to bring Gus Poyet back to the club might be nearing.

An early candidate for the vacancy, talks broke off to leave a mood altogether more flat by the time kick off rolled around.

Concerns were exasperated by two concerning injuries through the game.

Charlie Wyke was unable to run off a knee complaint, while Luke O'Nien left the field in agony with what Taylor fears could be a dislocated shoulder.

Any extended absence for the immensely popular 26-year-old would deny the new manager a key source of energy and drive in the first weeks of their tenure.

All in all, it summed up the twin concerns for fans and the challenges ahead.

The first is that a new manager is able to lift performances on the pitch and improve the side's attacking output. The table remains tight, but this was a game that Sunderland should have taken three points from and it has left them off the pace. Peterborough United are five points clear in third and that looks more concering now that the Black Cats have no longer played a game less.

The second is where the new manager, whoever it maybe, fits in to the wider picture at a club in need of significant change.

Three days on from Phil Parkinson's departure, there is still a clear lack of clarity on the impending takeover and whether it will truly bring that about.

Sunderland need better on the pitch, and they should be capable of it.

This day of frustration underlined once again, though, that this is just one part of a much greater puzzle.

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