ENDING WITH WHIMPER

Angry fans are pointing fingers at Regis Le Bris following the latest in a series of hapless displays. The listless performances that paying fans have been forced to sit through in recent weeks have been a disgrace, with some games seeing not a single clear-cut chance created.

While woefully short of service, Wilson Isidor stopped looking like a striker who knew where the goal was weeks ago. Despite this, Le Bris has time and time again stubbornly ignored calls to replace him with Eliezer Mayenda, who has easily been our stand-out forward in recent weeks. Of course, the Spaniard missed Oxford due to concussion protocols but even if he was available, I doubt he would have actually started the match.

Mayenda, increasingly more of a goal threat and natural striker than Isidor, has been harshly treated by Le Bris all season. His continuing preference for Isidor despite his current goal famine has the distinct whiff of favouritism. Despite calls from all quarters for Mayenda to be our main striker in the final run in, I have little faith RLB will take notice and make the change.

Le Bris is also culpable for the end of season drift and apathy that has engulfed the club since a play-off spot was secured. The head coach’s decision to heavily rotate the squad at such a key point in the season when momentum is required has sent out all the wrong signals, creating the impression that results don’t matter.

In addition, the Frenchman’s inclination to focus on how well the side have done by finishing fourth has fostered a premature sense of mission accomplished when nothing has really yet been achieved.

While it’s certainly fair to say Le Bris has made progress on the fiasco of last season, he cannot lose sight of the fact that Sunderland is a Premier League club. Finishing in fourth place and crashing out again in the play-offs is still not good enough.

A bit more ambition and less self-satisfaction would be nice from Le Bris. Maybe then we will finally see some sparks of life on the pitch.