Match Day Thread Fulham FC v Sunderland AFC - Saturday 22nd November 2025 - KO 15:00

Don't think its needed at all with the squad we have to be fair. Great player but no need to squash him in.

 

Thought it strange Rigg was left out and Neil was on the bench when Rigg has been used more so far

 

Probably not needed just thinking more of changing it up 1st half when we were getting over ran without having to make any subs

 

Official Highlights

2 mins:

Extended:

Full 90:
https://www.safc.com/videos/9adaaf86-49a0-49a1-a7c3-83a5ffa1a8a8

Post match reaction:

 

after the game i saw people making points of attacks / goals coming down our right

think this makes for an interesting discussion

 

The one thing I will say about RLB is that when he's set on something he rarely changes. Hardly ever makes changes to the starting line up. It seems he has made his mind up about Dan Neil that he isn't good enough for the premier league. I'd be surprised to see him now, which is a shame. I hope he dispenses with a back 5 as well. Okay in certain situations but never been a fan of it. Too many defensive players on pitch at same time. Our lack of goals is going to be an issue this season. We've got away with it up to now but we haven't created enough for a long time. Not just this season

 

bit more context on that data

 

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/spor...post_id=592018471&brid=zJbFxMoBmfAv23xH4_zsHA

What Régis Le Bris told his Sunderland players after Fulham defeat and why Chris Rigg wasn't in the squad

"Yeah, we had 21 players available today which is good, so we don't have many injuries now and after that I have to make a choice," Le Bris said.

Le Bris also revealed he had told his players he was unimpressed by the fracas that broke out on the pitch at the end of the game, with players and staff from both sides involved. Though it wasn't clear what started the melee, backroom staff from both clubs were subsequently shown a yellow card. At the end of the performance where Sunderland had not reached the intensity of many of their performances from this season, Le Bris was unimpressed.

He said: "I don't like fighting at the end because if you still have energy in your tank it means that you didn't push enough, so I don't know what happened before but for me it's not a positive situation. It's a good reminder about our basics, if you don't win many duels, if you don't win the second balls, it's not possible to impose something," Le Bris said.

"We struggled to create, we struggled today to manage for example when they went long our man from our press we were not efficient, the intention was really positive, we wanted to impose something defensively but we were not good enough to manage the duels so we had to defend probably around our box just after, probably too often and second balls after their long play as well, so basics are really important in football and if you don't win this part, at least 50-50, you can't impose anything.

"I think it's another good lesson, we have to be at our best, otherwise the opponent can exploit their strength."