adminAlan Shearer pulled no punches as he tore into Sunderland following their 3-1 loss to West Ham United, branding the performance “lazy” in what was arguably their poorest showing of the season.
The Match of the Day pundit has frequently praised the Black Cats when they have impressed this campaign, but his verdict after the defeat in east London was particularly damning.
From a statistical standpoint, Sunderland’s display backed up Shearer’s criticism. They recorded some of their lowest numbers of the season for duels won and pressing intensity, and the absence of captain Granit Xhaka was clearly felt.
During his analysis, Shearer singled out Enzo Le Fée, pointing to a lack of urgency from several players to close down West Ham’s attackers. That sluggish approach proved costly in a disastrous first half, with Sunderland heading into the break 3-0 down.
Head coach Régis Le Bris later admitted he was deeply disappointed with his side’s performance at the London Stadium.
Shearer was especially forthright in his assessment, saying: “They were outfought in the first half. They were lazy, and there was no desire to close any West Ham player down with any urgency.
“The smallest player on the pitch out-jumps the centre-backs, which is nowhere near good enough. And for the third goal, the lack of effort from Enzo Le Fée to close down Mateus Fernandes’ shot just wasn’t acceptable.”
Le Fée, who featured in the defeat, responded on social media after the final whistle, striking a determined note as Sunderland look to quickly put the setback behind them. “It was a difficult day. Back to work,” he wrote, adding: “Thank you once again for your support.”
Le Bris acknowledged that his team fell well short of their usual standards in the opening 45 minutes, but stressed that the issues went beyond team selection despite Xhaka’s absence.
With Sunderland opting not to bolster the midfield, West Ham capitalised ruthlessly, scoring three times before half-time. However, Le Bris insisted the system and shape were familiar to his players and had delivered results in the past, referencing the New Year’s Day draw with Manchester City.
“We played more or less like that against Manchester City, for example, with probably two more creative midfielders,” Le Bris explained. “We also used this set-up in pre-season friendlies and I expected a good level of work.
“I don’t think team selection is the main issue. It’s more about our level in the first half. We can talk about tactics and structure, but ultimately it was about individual performances. We were far below our standards, and in this league, when that happens, you get punished.”
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