What Kyril Louis-Dreyfus did after Sunderland's defeat at Blackpool and other moments missed from the defeat

We take a look at some of the moments you might have missed from the League One reverse – from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ post-match chat to the spirit in the Sunderland camp:

SUNDERLAND’S NEW THREADS

One change that was notable early in the match was between the sticks – where Lee Burge was sporting a new, grey goalkeeping shirt.

It’s the first time the Black Cats have had to utilise this third choice shirt this term, with their luminous yellow and orange shirts not clashing with any opposition.

But at Bloomfield Road, they were forced into a change.

The orange shirt would have clashed with Blackpool’s kit while the officials wore yellows – meaning Burge was forced to wear the new kit.

SPIRITS REMAIN HIGH IN THE CAMP

The beauty of the press box at Bloomfield Road was its close proximity to the pitch, which meant Sunderland’s pre-match conversations were within earshot.

And what was clear during the team’s preparations for the match were that spirits remained high.

Despite their back-to-back defeats in the build-up to the game, there was no sign of worry or panic as the Black Cats got ready for another stern test.

While the mood will no doubt have dipped after the game, it’s important that such a feeling is temporary rather than permanent.

If it is the play-offs for Sunderland – as now looks highly likely – it’s important that Sunderland enter that lottery in the highest spirits possible.

Winning games will do that, and it’s not vital the Black Cats bounce back as quickly as possible.

THE SUNDERLAND-BLACKPOOL CONNECTIONS

There were plenty of connections between the two sides at Bloomfield Road on Saturday afternoon – both on and off the pitch.

Ethan Robson was one of the more obvious connections, and he was warmly greeted by Lynden Gooch at half-time before then enjoying a quick catch-up with Max Power before the second half begun.

The Sunderland academy graduate was brought on late in the game, and has recently been joined in the North West by Elliot Embleton.

Embleton, on loan from the Black Cats, was ineligible to feature – but took part in a small-sided game with some other Blackpool players post-match.

There were also two other tentative links to Sunderland in the Blackpool squad in the form of Demetri Mitchell and Luke Garbutt.

Both were considered as potential signings by Phil Parkinson in the summer, with former Manchester United man Mitchell spending time on trial at the Academy of Light.

Garbutt, meanwhile, was a pre-salary cap target for the Black Cats.

The connections didn’t end on the pitch, either.

Lee Johnson was able to reconnect with Blackpool chief executive Ben Mansford following the game, with the pair having previously worked together at Barnsley.

GROANS FROM THE HOME BENCH

To say Blackpool were incensed that Callum McFadzean was not given his marching orders is perhaps an understatement.

The full-back was lucky to stay on the pitch after he felled

Blackpool’s players crowded referee Tom Nield who opted against flashing a yellow card, with McFadzean already having been booked in the first half.

And within seconds of that reprieve, the full-back was hooked – replaced by Denver Hume in a change that was greeted by loud groans from the Blackpool bench.

Indeed, the bench and Blackpool’s playing staff were then on their feet calling for consistency when Kenny Dougall was penalised for a foul moments later. He too avoided a booking.

LEE JOHNSON’S LATE INTERVENTION

While Sunderland pushed forward late on, chances were few and far between in the final stages.

Much of that was to do with how robustly Blackpool defended, with their two banks of four making it tricky for Sunderland to play through them – while attempts to play over or around didn’t quite yield the desired results.

And the hosts also did a good job of playing the clock down, as they navigated seven minutes of stoppage time with minimal fuss.

But when stopper Chris Maxwell took too long over a goal kick, in stepped Lee Johnson.

As the Blackpool ‘keeper sought a ball close to his goal, Johnson took matters into his own hands and punted own towards the goalmouth in a bid to get play restarted quickly.

Jamie McAllister, too, was aiding quick restarts in the dying minutes as Sunderland sought what ultimately proved to be an elusive leveller after what was one-way traffic in the dying minutes.

KYRIL LOUIS-DREYFUS’ POST-MATCH CHAT

After the game, Louis-Dreyfus and his brother Maurice headed pitch side for a debrief with Johnson.

This is understood to be a fairly common occurrence after games, with the chairman also spotted heading in the direction of the Sunderland dressing room at Wigan on Tuesday.

The duo were once again in attendance having been regular attendees since Kyril purchased a majority stake in the club in February.

Indeed, the chairman has scarcely missed a game since taking control.

And during his pos-match interview, Johnson shed light on what had been said during the conversation – with Louis-Dreyfus agreeing with the assessment of the head coach that Sunderland probably should have taken something from the game.

Louis-Dreyfus pledged not to panic during his first interview at the club, and will be keen to stick to that promise in the final weeks of the season.

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