'Le Bris got it wrong at London Stadium'

Saturday afternoon was probably the worst we've had this season. To be blunt, we were rubbish.

We're allowed the odd off day, though, aren't we? No team is perfect. We were tipped for a spectacular struggle this campaign, yet we're still the only unbeaten home side in the division. That's why, five minutes after the final whistle, I could shrug it off and look ahead rather than dwell.

Until heavy defeats become routine, I won't panic. This isn't pontificating - it's just my default stance as a Sunderland supporter. I take that role seriously, often to my detriment, but I'll always back the club and its decisions when I believe they're made in good faith.

Regis le Bris got it wrong at London Stadium - it's rare to say that, but fair's fair. When the team news came out, nothing alarmed me. It'd be easy now to claim he shouldn't have started Trai Hume on the right or Eliezer Mayenda up front, but hindsight's cheap. The lineup looked attacking, designed to take the game to West Ham early - that was surely the plan.

What we did, unusually under this manager, was take a gamble. We hoped to catch them off guard with an unexpected approach. As ever, things were spoiled the night before when it leaked that Granit Xhaka wouldn't start. The club tried to bluff by posting videos of him on the train and using his image to promote the match, but by then the news had spread - and you can bet it reached West Ham.

They pounced like hyenas smelling blood, knowing our talisman was absent. That's what worries me about the coming games. With Xhaka on the pitch, opponents fear us; without him, we're undeniably weaker.

A heavy defeat refocuses everyone. We won't panic or make rash transfer moves over one game, but it's often said you learn far more from losses — and this one will be no different. Questions over certain players may have been answered, and any hesitation about signing an experienced midfielder might now be gone. Seeing how desperately we missed Granit has surely underlined the need for more options to finish strongly. We'll see.

It's a long week until Burnley. After a tonking, a quick turnaround helps put things right, and I bet the players are itching to get back out there. Meanwhile, the Academy of Light will host big changes, with popular figures like Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson expected to move on. Their departures seem inevitable. While we must focus forward, losing two well-liked lads could affect the dressing room. Their team-mates will be upset, but it's part of growing as a club - we have to move on.

Hopefully, even better players arrive to replace them and settle as seamlessly as the summer signings did.

Find more from Gavin Henderson at Roker Report, external