Sunderland were beaten by Liverpool in their second pre-season friendly over the weekend

Sunderland continued their pre-season campaign with a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool in Nashville on Saturday night.

As the club's US tour moves to New Jersey and a clash with Leeds United, our writers James and Phil pick out their three key takeaways from the early fixtures and what they could mean for the season ahead...

James Copley's three key takeaways

Chris Rigg in the middle

Chris Rigg has looked really comfortable in central midfield so far. He scored against York and followed that with another strong first-half display against Liverpool, where he showed real maturity in possession and worked well alongside Enzo Le Fée. Last summer, there were a couple of moments when he was caught trying to turn in dangerous areas, but he already looks stronger and more secure on the ball now. He spent a lot of last season operating from the right, which never really felt like his long-term position. A number-eight role seems to suit him, allowing him to carry the ball, make late runs and get involved more regularly. Competition will obviously increase when Xhaka, Diarra and Sadiki are fully back, but Rigg has made a really positive start. It is only pre-season, but he is doing everything he can to show Le Bris that he deserves meaningful midfield minutes this season.

Tom Proctor has impressed

Tom Proctor has been one of the nicest surprises of Sunderland’s opening two friendlies. He is the youngest player on the pre-season tour, so expectations have to be kept sensible, but he has looked lively whenever he has been involved. He scored against York and then produced another bright cameo against Liverpool, pressing with enthusiasm, making intelligent runs and not appearing overawed by the level of opposition. There is clearly a lot of physical development still to come, which is completely normal at his age, but the raw ability is obvious. He looks sharp, plays with confidence and has shown a willingness to get involved rather than simply trying to avoid mistakes. Sunderland have a strong record of promoting young players above their age group when they believe they are ready, and Proctor has justified his inclusion so far. He is still a long way from the finished product, but he has certainly given the coaches something to think about.

Dan Ballard’s return is massive

Having Dan Ballard back is a massive boost for Sunderland. He completed 45 minutes against Liverpool after several months out and, even in a pre-season friendly, his presence immediately felt reassuring. Ballard is dependable, aggressive, strong in the air and arguably Sunderland’s best centre-back when fully fit. He is almost like a comfort blanket for the team because you know what you are going to get from him. There is quality competition in that position through Alderete, Mukiele and O’Nien, with the possibility of another signing as well, but Ballard remains hugely important. The main thing now is keeping him fit and building his minutes steadily rather than rushing him. Sunderland will have more games to manage this season because of Europe, so having a reliable core of centre-backs will be crucial. His return also gives Le Bris greater flexibility elsewhere, particularly with Mukiele able to move across to right-back when required.

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Phil Smith's three key takeaways

Enzo Le Fée is going to be linked with some of the biggest names in football this season

Le Fée's form in a central position was one of the key reasons Sunderland ended last season so strongly, making them a far more effective and dangerous side from open play. Of course these are only pre-season games but that's returned fit and continuing that run of form is absolutely massive for Sunderland's prospects. He's consistently picking up dangerous positions in the opposition box, and is clearly determined to add more goals to his game. He could have had even more than the three he has in these opening two games and given that he's likely to stay on penalty duty, he could be heading towards double figures and beyond this season.

Given his solid defensive contributions, it's a matter of time before the very biggest clubs start taking notice if they haven't already. Le Fée might just have emerged as Sunderland's most important player.

Sunderland need a right winger - but Trai Hume will continue to be a solid option in that position

Signing a right winger is probably Sunderland's key priority this summer. They want to develop as a team and offer a more consistent attacking threat from open play, which means having players on both flanks who can beat the full back in 1-v-1 situations and making something happen. Yet Sunderland's first half showing against an admittedly inexperienced Liverpool XI was a reminder of why playing Hume in that position remains a genuinely viable tactical option for Le Bris in certain games. He was able to double up with Nordi Mukiele to limit the impact of Rio Ngumoha, and allowed Mukiele to break forward as he did so effectively last season.

In games away at the biggest clubs especially, it's a unique and pretty effective way of improving Sunderland's defensive capabilities without taking away from Mukiele's ability to get into dangerous areas. Sunderland need a naturally attacking option in this position to complete their squad but expect to see this combination again somewhere along the line - and don't be surprised if it yields results.

Left back area needs addressing

Reinildo has had a solid start to pre-season, perhaps not doing enough to stop Liverpool's opener in Nashville but quickly improving as the half developed. He'll be a key player this season and a hugely dependable one, but the lack of cover behind him as Sunderland face up to an expanded schedule has to be a concern. Of course Hume can cover effectively when required, but playing two right-footers down that flank limits the team's attacking play. Behind the aforementioned right wing reinforcement, this is a key bit of business for Florent Ghisolfi this summer.

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