VIDEO: How false nine became forgotten nine for Sunderland in Stoke defeat

It was a desperately disappointing return to action for Sunderland at Stoke, and a tactical mistake seemed most responsible for it.

Sunderland went to Stoke hoping to put their nightmarish defeat to Middlesbrough behind them, but it didn't go to plan. 

The defeat against the Teessiders was marred by a ludicrous red card to key midfield man Dan Neil, a decision which prompted an official apology from the referees assessor after the game. 

However, due to it being a second yellow rather than straight red, Neil still had to serve his suspension at Stoke, which was an obvious blow to Tony Mowbray's side. 

There was a genuine lack of fluency as a result, and another controversial early refereeing decision going against Sunderland didn't help either. 

However, following the 2-1 defeat at the Bet365 Stadium, it was Mowbray's team selection that came under the most scrutiny. 

Despite having three strikers available to name on the bench, he went with a false nine instead with Patrick Roberts and Abdoullah Ba sharing the role. Against such a physical Stoke side, it's fair to say that the decision did not look like a good one. 

Let's take a closer look at that and other key tactical facets of what was a disappointing return to action after the relegation break for Sunderland. 

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