I watched Sunderland's Europa League defeat and this is what I made of their performance

Sunderland’s campaign continues to unravel at an alarming pace.

So far this season the cup form and performances have held things together at least to a certain extent, but no more. The Black Cats were easily beaten by an organised and spirited Dinamo Zagreb side, who again exposed the shortcomings that have been so glaringly apparent in recent weeks. Sunderland were 2-0 behind at the break after more poor defending and struggles out of possession, then laboured to create after a very brief revival at the start of the second half.

Club sources had backed Régis Le Bris at the start of this crucial week, but the manner of this performance will revive the debate ahead of Chelsea’s visit to the Stadium of Light on Sunday. Put simply, this team looks a mere shadow of the side who have so thrived under Le Bris in the last two years.

Sunderland had again left themselves a mountain to climb after a flat first half, this one perhaps not quiet as poor as those at Bournemouth and Coventry but certainly not far off and with some alarming similarities. The Black Cats started reasonably well without necessarily imposing themselves on the game, a couple of good forward passes from Xhaka and neat bits of combination play around the box offering promise if not clear chances.

Again, however, the team's man-for-man press wasn't functioning as it ought to and it meant that a sharp Dinamo Zagreb side were consistently a threat on the break. There was an element of bad luck about the opener given that Wilson Isidor was off the pitch following treatment on an impact injury, but the goal was almost a carbon copy of Lech Poznan's a fortnight back. Sunderland won first contact on the corner at the near post but had all but one of their players in the six-yard box, leaving Stojkovic in space to smash in a very good effort.

It should have been two moments later, the hosts carved open and saved only by an excellent piece of defending from Meunier who showed good awareness to drop onto the line and hack Orsic's shot to safety. Meunier was then involved in one of Sunderland's best moves of the half, clipping in a cross that dropped onto the far post and away after good play from Alderete and Angulo.

The visitors continued to threaten on the break, however, and got their second when Danso played an attempted clearance on his weaker foot into the feet of Stojkovic. The playmaker then showed his quality again with a lovely pass into the feet of Beljo, who dinked his effort over Roefs and in despite Alderete's attempts at a clearance.

Sunderland’s performance in the first half was summed up by Le Bris making four changes at the break, and the hosts thought that had an immediate lifeline when Xhaka whipped an excellent free kick into the box. Isidor headed it home, but replays showed he had strayed offside.

There had been a clear improvement from the hosts and a lift in intensity since the break, with Danso hitting bar after Kotarski had made a good initial save from Reinildo after a free kick was floated in from deep. It says much, though, that this attack inside the first ten minutes of the second half was the last real one of note. Sunderland had much of the ball but laboured, the visitors comfortable and fully deserving of their win. Sunderland look a team lost.

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