I watched Sunderland's Alan Browne full-back experiment vs Millwall - this is what I thought of it

Necessity is the mother of invention, or so they say. On Saturday afternoon, with a list of defensive injuries that seemed to be growing by the minute, Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris was forced into some creative thinking when he named his starting XI against Millwall at 2pm.

The Frenchman was without Dennis Cirkin, Aji Alese, Dan Ballard, Leo Hjelde, Jenson Seelt, and Niall Huggins for a potentially thorny clash against Alex Neil’s Lions, and prior to kick-off, speculation had been rife about how he would seek to plug the gaping holes in his backline. Would Joe Anderson be handed an unexpected opportunity to begin an improbable redemption arc? Would young Oli Bainbridge be entrusted with the responsibility of a first team start? Would Le Bris change tact entirely and swap to a back five, perhaps utilising the ever-willing Romaine Mundle as a left wing-back?

In the end, the solution was far simpler and somewhat more unorthodox. Alan Browne, a man who has never played in defence for Sunderland, was parachuted in at right-back, while Trai Hume - a rock steady presence for the Black Cats this season - was shunted out to the left flank to deputise for the absent Cirkin. It was a roll of the dice that paid dividends two-fold.

On the one hand, Hume was nothing short of magnificent. Not only did the Northern Irishman - who has been grappling with a hip complaint of his own in recent weeks - score the winning goal in a 1-0 victory with a sumptuous back post volley from a Patrick Roberts cross, but he generally put in the kind of comprehensive, no-nonsense performance that has made him such a darling of the terraces on Wearside since his arrival from Linfield three years go.

On the other, Browne - tasked with learning a new role on the fly in unenviable circumstances - barely put a foot wrong. In some respects, that should come as no grand surprise. The Republic of Ireland international is a vastly experienced Championship campaigner who seemingly prides himself on his dual virtues of grit and adaptability. Likewise, Sunderland didn’t need him to embody the second coming of Cafu this weekend, just a dependable presence capable of steering them through a difficult moment - and Browne, to his credit, is nothing if not dependable.

But such was the quality of his display against Millwall that there is now a tangible argument to be made for him remaining in the side for the trip to West Brom next Saturday lunchtime - even if the likes of a Hjelde, for instance, is fit and available.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Defensively, Browne repeatedly foresaw and swept up danger with minimal fuss, rendering livewire Millwall winger Aidomo Emakhu largely anonymous throughout, while on the front foot, there were several occasions during which the 29-year-old’s midfield pedigree came to the fore. More than once, Browne linked up impressively with a rejuvenated Roberts, and his knack for distribution afforded Sunderland the added dimension of casting long balls down the line and over the head of Lions full-back Joe Bryan several times.

If one was to be hyper-critical, there were moments in which Browne’s unfamiliarity with his newfound position told; the Irishman tucking in especially narrow from time to time, or wandering into central areas as his midfield instincts involuntarily kicked in. But these slight transgressions were remarkably fleeting and never looked like costing Sunderland, while alongside the makeshift full-back, loanee Chris Mepham put in a towering turn to help keep his teammate right.

In short, while Le Bris may only have been seeking a stopgap solution, he might actually have inadvertently stumbled across a viable alternative. All the head coach needed was for Browne to avoid catastrophe in a time of looming personnel crisis, and instead, he got an awful lot more.

Your next Sunderland read: 'I think' - Alex Neil's truthful response when asked about Sunderland's promotion chances and Millwall game