Phil Smith: My key conclusions after watching Sunderland lose to Swansea City

Sunderland fell to a 1-0 defeat at home to Swansea City on Saturday afternoon.

Phil Smith was at The Stadium of Light reporting for The Echo and these were his key conclusions from the game...

Régis Le Bris makes fair case of (attacking) defence but Sunderland's output has slowed

Since the international break and that shambolic performance at Coventry City, Sunderland have by and large defended very well and the collective endeavour was rightly praised after the wins over Millwall and West Brom, two teams still firmly in the race for the top six.

That spirit and organisation has offered some reassurance ahead of the play-offs but there is no doubt that it has come at a price with Sunderland's attacking play slowing down considerably. This laboured display, in which the Black Cats didn't really threaten to get out of first gear until Enzo Le Fée and Eliezer Mayenda were introduced after Swansea's opening goal, has magnified those concerns.

Sunderland registered just three shots on target all game, and not one from either a central position in the box or inside the six-yard box. Their paltry expected-goals tally of 0.67 tells you that even if they dominated possession, they didn't really deserve to take all three points from the game. This is a definite trend since the international break, with Sunderland registering a worse XG than their opponent in the last three games. In the four games since the break, they have created more than 1 XG only in the win over Millwall, aided quite clearly by a penalty and some big chances created at the very start of the game.

Le Bris acknowledged there is an issue after the game, but made clear that he feels it is very easily fixed. While he has identified an issue with Sunderland's build-up play that will need addressing on the training ground, his view is that the issues are a consequence of the changes he has made to freshen up the squad. He noted that Trai Hume played at left back in this game and Chris Rigg on the left of the midfield triangle rather than the right, disrupting the two triangles that have been so important to Sunderland's build-up play this season. Harrison Jones made his first league start with Alan Browne again operating out of position at right back, all contributing factors to the obvious lack of fluidity.

Le Bris is counting on Sunderland quickly hitting their stride again when the 'references' on the pitch improve.

So when does Régis Le Bris curtail the rotation policy?

That point leads to the next very obvious question - at what point does Le Bris move away from the rotation strategy? Le Bris has made clear that he views ending the campaign with momentum as crucial and so at some stage he will have to go with a more familiar side.

Here is where Sunderland, for all it's a difficult watch at the moment, do have a significant advantage in knowing their fate so far out from the end of the season. Few would argue with Le Bris's cautious approach to managing Enzo Le Fée on his return from a hamstring injury or his decision to take an ultra-cautious approach with Jobe Bellingham this week - they are both crucial if Sunderland are to stand any chance of making the play-offs. You could even make a strong case that there are other players who could benefit from a short break, with Dan Neil and Chris Rigg probably top of the list. The Easter weekend, which brings two games in four days, is probably one where Sunderland will simply have to continue with the rotation policy in order to guard against further injuries. That still leaves two games in which Sunderland can effectively reset for the play-offs, where Le Bris will surely name something approaching his 'strongest' team and top up the minutes of those who need them from the bench.

Samed's return gives Le Bris some welcome options

It was a mixed return to action for Salis Abdul Samed, and the highlights reel might not be kind to his cameo given the simple switch of play that he fired into touch later in the game. There were unmistakably some green shoots in his return, though. He looked noticeably sharper and quicker across the ground than in his previous appearances, and he initially helped lift the tempo of Sunderland's attacking play.

His return in time for the Easter weekend is crucial for Sunderland because it allows them to manage Dan Neil's minutes far better than in recent weeks, and to do that without putting too great a workload on either Bellingham or Rigg. For Le Bris, this is something of a win-win. Can Samed get up to speed in time to play a meaningful part in the play-offs? Only time will tell, but either way he has a crucial role in Le Bris's wide task of getting the core of his side in peak condition for the end-of-season fixtures.

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