Phil Smith: I watched Sunderland's pre-season return and these were my key conclusions

Sunderland returned to action on Saturday afternoon with a comfortable 5-1 win over League Two side York City.

Régis Le Bris fielded as experienced a side as he could in the first half, and saw them seize a four-goal lead before a predominantly academy XI competed well in the second. Phil Smith was at the LNER Community Stadium reporting for The Echo and these were his key conclusions…

Sunderland have very good foundations for the new campaign

Just three of the players who kicked off against South Shield this time one year ago started against West Ham United on the opening day of the campaign, a reminder that it’s best never to look too deeply into what essentially is a training exercise.

With Sunderland’s twelve World Cup players still absent, it’s perfectly possible that only a similar number of this starting XI will be in from the off to face Ipswich Town on August 22nd. Nevertheless, it was a first-half performance that underlined just how far Sunderland are ahead of where they were this time one year ago. Just how many starts the likes of Chris Rigg and Luke O’Nien will get this season in the Premier League in particular remains to be seen but they demonstrated here that they are ready to be key members in the squad.

The likes of Nordi Mukiele and Enzo Le Fée looked a cut above and ready to pick up from where they finished in May. The half time scoreline slightly flattered Sunderland in that York City had proven a good standard of opposition, comfortable in possession and at times getting into dangerous areas. But Sunderland defended their box well when they needed to, and showed their class in the final third with some excellent combination play and finishing.

These are players who have built a good understanding and are full of confidence after such a strong end to last season. This 45 minutes of football will have little impact on how Sunderland fare next season, but it showed how quickly they have progressed in a short space of time and most certainly left you optimistic about what lies ahead.

Sunderland’s next generation show promise

Though York City eventually took control of the second half, forcing Sunderland to defend resolutely and in numbers, the opening exchanges of the half had been an entertaining contest in which the youngsters more than held their own against senior opposition.

Winger Charlie Dinsdale regularly drove past his full back, with midfielder Tom Proctor taking his goal well and showing an encouraging desire to pass forward. Though efforts on goal were rare, striker Finn Geragusian underlined his reputation by using his body well and causing problems for the opposition centre backs. The gap from the academy sides to the first team has grown dramatically over the past 12 months, but there is real promise in the next generation of players who showed here that they will be worth keeping a close eye on in the campaign ahead.

Though likely to leave the club this summer, Timur Tutierov was excellent in the first half and will no doubt caught the eye of any suitors watching. Trey Ogunsuyi, too, held the ball up well and played his part in a strong team display. Another loan move seems the best option for Ogunsuyi at this stage of his career but this exposure to senior football can only be a good thing in the long run.

Enzo Le Fée looks better than ever

If there was any concern that Le Fée’s form at the end of last season might not carry into the new campaign, this dazzling cameo suggests there might actually be even more to come. Two goals was the headline, both of them smart first-time finishes, but that only scratched the surface. There was the audacious chip that would have been a goal had the pass not been delayed just too long and left him a yard offside, an outrageous first-time backheel to set Chris Rigg away and plenty more besides. Le Fée looks fitter, more comfortable and more confident in his role within the XI than at any stage of his Sunderland career so far. His creativity and ability to get on the scoresheet means he is possibly the most important player in the squad heading into the new campaign.

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Returning loanees make positive impact

While it seems unlikely at this stage (though you can’t say for sure) that Alan Browne and Jenson Seelt will have a big role to play in the first-team squad this season, their involvement here was a positive start to their campaign.

Browne was very tidy at the base of midfield in the first half, and Seelt made numerous crucial interventions in the second half to bail out his more inexperienced team mates. Even if they are to move on, a strong start to pre-season is key in showing new clubs they are fit and ready to make an impact. In the end, that benefits everybody. As it stands you’d expect both to travel to the US next week and both showed here that they’re ready to help the team for as long as required.

Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris issues Sunderland transfer message and reacts to pre-season win over York City