Phil Smith's Sunderland AFC player ratings: Who shone and struggled in Lee Johnson's first game?
By Phil Smith
Published 5th Dec 2020, 17:14 BST
Sunderland suffered defeat in Lee Johnson’s first game as head coach – but did any players catch the eye?
Despite seeing the bast majority of the ball, the Black Cats failed to break down a stubborn Wigan backline after the visitors had taken the lead through Kyle Joseph.
But who shone and struggled, and will anyone have caught the eye of Johnson during his first outing at the Stadium of Light?
Scroll down as Phil Smith dishes out his player ratings:
Scroll down as Phil Smith dishes out his player ratings:
9. Chris Maguire
Got into some promising positions but did little with them. Is well short of his best form and Johnson needs him to find it quickly. 4 Photo: FRANK REID 2019
Started brightly but missed a big opportunity to get his side on level terms shortly after Joseph’s opener. Had one or two bright moments, but understandably looked well short of his best after a long spell on the sidelines. 5 Photo: FRANK REID
Worked hard and tried to run the channels well, but had little sight of goal. Sunderland’s frontline had been significantly reshuffled and there was an obvious lack of confidence and cohesion through the opening hour. 5 Photo: FRANK REID 2019
Given a big opportunity to impress down the left after Hume’s injury, but lacked the attacking threat we saw in his early appearances. 5 Photo: FRANK REID 2019