John Mousinho praised Wilson Isidor as one of the best strikers in the Championship after the 24-year-old’s matchwinning performance at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon.
Isidor’s seventh-minute goal proved the difference as Sunderland moved to within two points of the top of the Championship, while the Frenchman also forced Marlon Pack into a foul that earned a red card as he burst through on goal midway through the second half.
Mousinho, whose side have only won once away from home so far this season, said there were a lot of positives to take from hid team’s performance but rued that early ‘sloppy mistake’.
“There’s definitely an air of positivity in the changing room, especially after our last away performance at Bristol City [3-0 defeat],” Mousinho said.
We’ve taken on one of the best teams in the division with excellent players all over the pitch and we’ve taken them right to the wire. In the last ten minutes, Sunderland naturally sit a bit deeper and we make changes to be a bit more attacking.
But even before that, I thought we were decent value in the game, had a couple of chances. I think you’re always going to concede some chances against sides like this but overall I’m really pleased.
“We’ve made a sloppy mistake from our throw in and [Wilson] Isidor is one of the best centre forwards in the division.
He’s caught us out with good movement, it’s a good ball as well, and he puts it in the back of the net. I felt that we settled back into the game I was pretty happy with what we did. We were never going to completely dominate the game but overall I think it was a positive performance.
We looked organised, brave in terms of our press. We put pressure on the ball and to do that you have to go man-for-man at the back, and we did that well.
The work rate and intensity was there, you couldn’t fault. We needed a bit more quality, maybe a bit more calmness and bravery to play when we could have done a bit more.”
Mousinho also said he had no issues with the decision to send Pack off for his foul in Isidor: “I thought it was a red, no complaints.”
