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“Why did Regis Le Bris change Jobe Bellingham’s position in Sunderland win over West Brom?”- Sunderland writer Phil Smith explains STRANGE reason behind Jobe Bellingham West Brom decision
Jobe Bellingham played in a deeper role during Sunderland’s 1-0 win over West Brom on Saturday afternoon.
Sharp-eyed Sunderland fans may have noticed a tactical adjustment during the Black Cats’ victory at The Hawthorns.
While Sunderland continued with their usual three-man central midfield, head coach Regis Le Bris made a change by rotating Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil.
This allowed Neil to take up a more advanced position, while Bellingham played deeper at the base of midfield.
Though some may have questioned why Le Bris opted to alter his established setup, the French coach’s reasoning seems straightforward.
Why did Regis Le Bris adjust Jobe Bellingham’s position against West Brom?
In a post-match video for On the Whistle, Phil Smith, chief SAFC writer for The Echo, provided insight into Le Bris’ decision.
He explained: “Bellingham was clearly playing as the deepest midfielder, with Dan Neil a little further ahead. Le Bris gave two reasons for this.
Firstly, he feels both players have had a physically demanding season with a heavy workload.
We know how many minutes they’ve played, so it was a way to freshen things up for them in the final stretch of the season, giving them a new challenge and a bit of freshness.
“Secondly, Le Bris mentioned that he simply wanted to experiment. You might recall that when Dan Neil was suspended earlier in the season, Jobe played as the deepest midfielder against Portsmouth and was excellent in that game.
I think Le Bris believes he can trust both players in any position, and this tweak is just about exploring some new options ahead of the play-offs.
“Le Bris feels he can make these changes without disrupting the team’s structure too much, and there’s little risk involved.
It’s a sensible approach, and I think we’ll see more of these small adjustments between now and the end of the season as Sunderland looks for additional options ahead of the play-offs.
“Being in the position they’re in, Sunderland have more flexibility than teams like Middlesbrough, Coventry, Bristol City, and West Brom, where every game is a must-win.
While every match is still crucial for Sunderland, they have a bit more room to rotate and experiment with subtle changes.”
