PRIOR to last night, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus might not quite have appreciated the scale of the task he is taking on as he prepares to complete his takeover of Sunderland. After 90 minutes in the main stand at a freezing Montgomery Waters Stadium, he will have a much better idea. Let’s just say it’s a little bit different to life at Marseille.

Louis-Dreyfus’ first confirmed sight of Sunderland in the flesh coincided with the Black Cats suffering their first away league defeat of the season as they passed up an opportunity to return to the play-off positions. As he stands on the brink of replacing Stewart Donald as majority shareholder, the 23-year-old will be hoping there are much better days to come. For now, a 2-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town provides a pretty decent summation of where Sunderland stand.

They are a club desperately in need of an overhaul, with last night’s defeat leaving them ten points adrift of second-placed Doncaster Rovers, who also have two games in hand.

Leading through Aiden O’Brien’s first-half strike, Sunderland collapsed in the second half, largely as a result of some self-inflicted wounds. Remi Matthews, who was a surprise starter ahead of Lee Burge, committed a howler as Shrewsbury equalised, failing to reach Donald Love’s cross as Ethan Ebanks-Landell headed home.

Matthews almost conceded an even more embarrassing goal as a long-range free-kick squirmed from his grasp, and while the goalkeeper could not be blamed as Harry Chapman fired home Shrewsbury’s winner, the lack of marking as the North-Easterner fired home was stark.

Sunderland created chances either side of Chapman’s winner, but they lacked a spark for the majority of a bitterly-cold evening and could not complain at the final result. Lee Johnson might talk about putting the right protocols in place, but two months into his reign, and it is hard to discern much evidence of progress.

Johnson’s decision to select Matthews last night certainly backfired, and given that he clearly does not trust Burge either, his decision not to sign a goalkeeper last month is hard to fathom.

Matthews’ promotion was one of two changes to the side that started Saturday’s draw with MK Dons – it had initially looked like being four but Max Power and Grant Leadbitter both started despite being omitted from the team sheet that was published on Sunderland’s website and distributed at the stadium – but Johnson was forced to make another alteration just four minutes in.

Jordan Willis has had some wretched luck with injury during his time as a Sunderland player, and his latest issue could hardly have come in a more innocuous fashion.

The centre-half fell awkwardly after appearing to misjudge the flight of a long ball, but it quickly became apparent that he was in considerable discomfort. A lengthy period of treatment preceded him being carried from the field on a stretcher with the lower half of his body heavily strapped, and having already been forced to sit out the best part of two-and-a-half months this season, he looks set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Dion Sanderson came on to replace him, and to his credit, the Wolves loanee initially formed a solid centre-half pairing with Bailey Wright. The importance of their early defensive efforts was accentuated by the fact that Sunderland had something to hold on to, with the visitors claiming the lead with their first attempt on goal in the 21st minute.

Ebanks-Landell conceded possession in his own half, enabling Charlie Wyke to prod a through ball beyond the Shrewsbury defence. O’Brien raced onto it, and after steadying himself at the heart of the penalty area, the Irishman slotted a slick finish past Matija Sarkic’s left hand. It was only O’Brien’s second goal of the season, and highlighted the benefit of having two strikers playing alongside each other, something Phil Parkinson was seemingly determined to avoid.

Sanderson stabbed a shot wide towards the end of the first half after Leadbitter’s free-kick evaded a host of Shrewsbury defenders to reach him at the back post, and Jordan Jones came close with another effort a minute before the interval. The Rangers loanee fired in a shot after Sanderson’s initial effort had been blocked, but his strike was hacked clear by Ebanks-Landell from just in front of the goalline.

Wright had made an important defensive intervention at the opposite end a couple of minutes earlier, swooping on the ball on the edge of his own six-yard box as Main was shaping to shoot following a break down the right from Chapman.

Chapman’s direct running was Shrewsbury’s chief attacking threat all night, with the Hartlepool-born former Middlesbrough trainee clearly relishing the chance to prove himself in Shropshire after struggling to make an impact with Blackburn.

He was involved in the first-half move that ended in Love, a former Black Cat, shooting wide from the edge of the area, but didn’t have to feature in the move that led to Shrewsbury equalising. When the Black Cats conceded seven minutes after the break, the damage was completely self-inflicted.

Matthews opted to leave his line when Love swung over a cross from the right, but the goalkeeper got nowhere near the ball as Main nodded goalwards. Main’s header sparked a scramble inside the six-yard box, and Ebanks-Landell was able to swivel to prod home from a couple of yards.

Shrewsbury went close again moments later, with Matthews making at least partial amends for his error as he parried Chapman’s back-post shot, but having seen their lead evaporate, Sunderland enjoyed their best spell of the game as they tried to reestablish an advantage.

Aiden McGeady’s dipping drive from the corner of the area was tipped over by Sarkic, before the in-form Wyke looped a header narrowly over the crossbar after McGeady crossed from the left.

Johnson brought on Lynden Gooch in an attempt to maintain his side’s momentum, but just as they looked like turning the game back in their favour, the visitors found themselves falling behind.

Shrewsbury’s second goal was a cracker, with an onrushing Chapman converting Sean Goss’ cross from the left-hand side with a superb first-time volley that arrowed into the roof of the net. It was Chapman’s fourth goal in the last four games – and was surely the most emphatic.

The Shrews almost claimed a third goal when Matthews allowed a free-kick to squirm from his grasp – the assistant’s flag spared the goalkeeper’s blushes after Shaun Whalley ran in front of him from an offside position – and Sunderland passed up a decent chance to claim an equaliser with 11 minutes left.

Josh Scowen swung an inviting cross into the middle, but Wright’s diving header whistled narrowly wide of the upright.

McGeady came close with a free-kick in stoppage time, but Sarkic threw himself to his right to keep the ball out and ensure Shrewsbury were able to celebrate their second successive home win over a decidedly below-par Sunderland.