Graeme Murty's Sunderland tenure got off to a losing start despite moments of impressive play from Sunderland's second string. There were nine first-team players involved in proceedings this evening with Jacob Carney and Zak Johnson the only Under-21s players to start.
The four recent signings; Abdoullah Ba, Amad Diallo, Edouard Michut and Jewison Bennette, all got important minutes under their belt against the runaway leaders of Premier League 2 Division 2. The Whites have scored an impressive 25 goals in seven games.
Sunderland limited the visitors to very little bar a frantic few minutes in the second-half. However, the same could be said for the Wearsiders who struggled to test Kristoffer Klaesson in the Whites goal.
READ MORE: Sunderland u21s 0-1 Leeds United u21s highlights
It was a display somewhat similar of the struggles the first team are experiencing, a lack of presence up top. Here's a look at some of the talking points from Sunderland's draw with Leeds United.
Sunderland's striker dilemma
Sunderland's lack of an out and out striker has caused problems for the first team in recent weeks, and with Tony Mowbray reluctant to call upon youngster Max Thompson, the club have a problem. Leon Dajaku led the line again tonight but struggled to impact the game.
There were a number of offside calls that didn't go his way but there's a need for investment in the final third of the pitch. The young summer arrivals are intricate on the ball, but lack a presence that is often needed in the English game.
Dajaku is not the man to play a lone striker role, and the likes of Amad Diallo are not Sunderland's players in the long run.
French duo impress in first-half after summer arrival
Fresh from making his Sunderland debut at the weekend, Edouard Michut looked to atone for his previous sending off against Middlesbrough and made an impressive start to the game. Unlike the Tees-Wear derby, the PSG loanee was much more involved in the game.
There were some moments of real quality on display in central midfield areas inside the opening 45 minutes. Ba and Michut combined well to make an impressive Leeds United side - that had scored 24 goals prior to their trip to Wearside - spend the majority of the game running towards their own goal.
The Whites have invested heavily into their academy recruitment in recent years and have one of the best talent conveyor belts in the country. The way Sunderland found pockets of space in between the lines was particularly impressive in the first-half - a far cry from their display at Boro - albeit with more first team players in their midst.
The second-half was a tighter affair with neither side really able to get a foot on the game. Ba did go close with a curling effort before going down with cramp - an important reminder of the purpose of the exercise.
Sunderland using the U21s for its purpose
The Black Cats coaching staff set up to win the game this evening against one of the best sides in Premier League 2 Division 2. Leeds have built quite the reputation for developing bright talents and giving them opportunities to impress in the top flight.
The Wearsiders gave the young summer arrivals a chance to showcase their talents at the Stadium of Light and for parts of the game looked bright.
However, it's worth remembering where Sunderland are at. The Black Cats have shown they plan to invest into promising young talent and they matched the visitors for large parts of the game. For a club coming back up to the second tier, tonight's performance was encouraging. In the first-half at least.
SAFC XI: Carney, Hume, Wright, Johnson, Cirkin, Michut, Ba, Matete, Bennette, Dajaku, Amad
Subs: Richardson, Thompson, Kachosa, Newall, Burke.
Leeds United : Klaesson (GK), Drameh, Spencer, Moore, Sutcliffe (Allen 79), Gyabi, Greenwood (McCalmont, 90), Perkins (Miller, 90), Gelhardt, Gnonto (McGurk, 90), Joseph
Subs: Christy (GK).
Goals: Gnonto
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