Sunderland legend outlines Régis Le Bris' 'biggest problem' after Swansea City victory - and what puzzled him
The Sunderland legend has outlined Régis Le Bris’ biggest problem after the Swansea City game
Sunderland legend Gary Bennett has outlined Régis Le Bris’ “biggest problem” after the Swansea City game.
Le Bris opted to start Luke O’Nien on the bench after his recent illness with Chris Mepham and Dan Ballard preferred in the centre of defence. Trai Hume started at right-back with Dennis Cirkin getting the nod ahead of Aji Alese on the opposite flank.
However, with Sunderland 2-1 down in South Wales, Le Bris subbed O’Nien on in Cirkin’s place at left-back, instead of taking off Mepham or Ballard at centre-back. The Black Cats went on to score two goals through Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham.
Ex-Sunderland hero Bennett, though, stated after the game that where the Black Cats play O’Nien going forward is one of the French head coach’s “biggest problems”. Bennett also expressed surprise that the 30-year-old was brought on at full-back
Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle, Bennett said: “You know what you’re going to get out of Luke O’Nien… I thought that he might have been coming on further up the field, maybe in midfield. I didn’t expect him to come on as a left-back. That was the last place I thought he would come on.”
“Luke O’Nien is a good player, bringing the ball out of defence. Dan Ballard did it two or three times today, Chris Mepham does it as well. But again, it’s trying to find a place for Luke O’Nien. Where do you play him? That’s the biggest problem he’s [Le Bris] got at the present moment.”