The tactical masterstroke that 85% of Sunderland fans want to see Regis Le Bris employ against Portsmouth

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Sunderland host Portsmouth in the Championship this weekend

When Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris named his starting XI to take on fellow promotion hopefuls Sheffield United in midweek, it was not immediately clear as to how he was planning to set up his side.

With the Frenchman having generally employed a 4-3-3 formation over the course of his time on Wearside, there were questions as to where both Adil Aouchiche and Eliezer Mayenda would fit into that presumed system - which would operate out on the left wing, and which would be permitted to roam in a more central berth.

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In the end, Le Bris sprung a surprise on just about everybody by changing his usual shape to a more pronounced 4-4-2, with Aouchiche posted as an out-and-out left midfielder, and Mayenda playing up top alongside Wilson Isidor. Of course, this worked to great effect, with the Black Cats winning 2-1, and Mayenda in particular playing an influential part in that victory, scoring one goal and assisting the other.

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This weekend, Sunderland will once again be in action at the Stadium of Light, this time hosting relegation-threatened Portsmouth. And with that in mind, The Echo have asked readers whether they would like to see Le Bris persist with his new 4-4-2, or whether they would prefer to see him revert to a 4-3-3. The response was overwhelming, with some 85% of those polled suggesting that they would like to see the Frenchman stick with the shape that served his side so well in midweek, while just 15% want him to return to previous tactical approach.

Looking ahead to Sunday’s contest in a press conference on Friday afternoon, Le Bris admitted that he is not expecting any immediate returns from the club’s injured contingent. He said: "I think we'll have to take care of Dan [Ballard] because it's a muscle injury. It's not major but with muscle injuries you have to be very careful because you can have re-injuries. Joint injuries are different. We'll have to wait a little bit.

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"Salis [Abdul Samed] is training now, he's in full training. We'll have [Chris] Rigg [for the FA Cup clash with Stoke City next weekend] probably, we have to wait a little bit but his recovery is doing well. So I think these players could be available [for Stoke].

“Tommy [Watson] is still a few weeks away. With Alan [Browne], the recovery has not been quick so we will have to delay a week or two I think. Like Romaine [Mundle], he will be back a little bit later this month. Ahmed [Abdullahi] is training but like Salis, he has not played for around six months now. So I don't know exactly when he will be available but it will be probably take three our four weeks to find his full rhythm.”

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