'Unbelievable' midfielder dilemma, defender's step forward & telling selection calls: Phil Smith's Sunderland conclusions

Sunderland held Leeds United to a 0-0 draw at Elland Road on Tuesday night - Phil Smith delivers his key conclusions from the game.

SUNDERLAND SHOW PROMISE - BUT LEFT WITH WORK TO DO

Leeds United's excellent record meant that there had to do be some element of apprehension coming into this game, with memories of the implosion to Blackburn Rovers a week previous still fresh.

Mike Dodds had fumed at his players after that game and has clearly got a response from a dressing room that respects him, with Sunderland producing a tenacious performance that limited Leeds to very few chances over the course of the game. It leaves the Black Cats with four clean sheets in five games, signs of progress in the defensive structure of the team even accounting for that collapse against Blackburn.

Where they are clearly lacking is in chance creation and finishing, having failed to score in three games of those five fixtures.

DAN NEIL PROVES HIS CLASS - AGAIN

Dan Neil was named Sky Sports' man of the match at Elland Road, a worthy accolade given his disciplined performance in the heart of midfield. It was one that underlined his development in recent times, and specifically since Corry Evans suffered an ACL injury and Neil was become the club's leader in midfield.

Gone are the days when you wondered if Neil's out-of-possession work might hinder his prospects of playing at the very top level, testament to his willingness to learn and his capacity for improvement. Sunderland were hugely effective in denying Leeds' talented forward line the space they thrive in on Tuesday night but in the rare moments where Georginio Rutter looked like he had a route to goal, Neil was invariably there to intervene. Dodds was critical of his side in possession on the night but in the moments they had the composure to open up a counter, it was often Neil involved.

“Tactically, Dan Neil is unbelievable,” Mike Dodds said afterwards.

“I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves for that. I ask him to execute something, and he’s almost like my voice on the pitch in terms of the tactical stuff. I’ve got nothing but praise for Dan.”

Neil is being regularly scouted by top-tier clubs and it's increasingly clear that he is destined to play there one day. The midfielder is desperate to be part of the Sunderland side that takes the club back to where it belongs and is under a long-term contract, raising hopes that he'll be around for another campaign at least. There's a dilemma for Sunderland moving forward, because for all the last year has been a huge learning curve and valuable experience for the 22-year-old, the feeling remains that he could offer more to the side with a little more attacking freedom - regular goals is probably the last hurdle for him to clear in his development. The decision not to replace Evans has had a huge impact on the balance of the side, and surely needs to be revisited this summer.

PEMBELE OFFERS HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

Having reached April without a start in any competitive fixture, you wondered how much of an impact Timothée Pembélé would be able to make at Sunderland.

Pembélé had been expected to take time to adjust after an injury-hit season in France before his arrival, and a hamstring injury in one of his first full training sessions on Wearside checked his progress further. It had been a concern, though, that even after returning to full fitness there had been so few playing opportunities - particularly with Trai Hume taking on such a heavy workload.

To see Pembélé's name on the teamsheet at Leeds United therefore came as a something of a surprise, but Dodds outlined afterwards that he feels wing back is the youngster's best position and so had been waiting for a game where he would make the change to a back five. It was a sound move, with the job of dealing with the hugely dangerous Crysencio Summerville in 1-v-1 situations left largely to Hume on the right of a back three. That took some of the pressure off Pembélé, but he impressed with his tenacity and the way he got forward at times. Dodds felt both of his wing backs could have been a little bolder on the ball but with so little senior football under his belt, some signs of tentativeness were inevitable.

The challenge for Pembélé now is to force his way into the side and earn the trust to play in a back four on occasions, but this felt like a fairly significant step forward and an important one for the club, given that he was a significant addition on a five-year contract last summer.

GELHARDT CALL SUMS UP GAP TO THE TOP

Sunderland have shown in two fixtures against Leeds United that they are capable of competing with the best at this level but a quick look at the teamsheets before kick off underlined the challenge they face in getting promoted from this league while the current parachute payment structure remains in place.

Leeds' attacking options are so strong that former Sunderland loanee Joe Gelhardt was not even selected on Daniel Farke's nine-man bench. Gelhardt did not always find it easy at the Stadium of Light last season, outlining in the programme beforehand how he had sometimes struggled with the lone striker role after Ross Stewart's serious injury. But Gelhardt showed his talent even in those circumstances, often playing a central part in some of the club's excellent link-up play with the likes Amad, Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke. He'd certainly have had an impact on this side in the current campaign and his lack of game time at Elland Road underlines the strength in depth teams coming down from the Premier League are able to enjoy.

There was also a sign in Dodds’ selection of the club beginning to look towards next season, with Mason Burstow left out as his loan move begins to move to a conclusion. While insisting he’d only give out opportunities on merit, Dodds said on Monday he understood the argument from many fans that it was time to focus on players who would definitely be around next season.