Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris said his side struggled to deal with Preston North End's direct play during their 1-1 draw at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats rescued a point through Romaine Mundle's superb strike late on after Emil Riis put the visitors ahead.
Le Bris said Preston made life difficult for his side with their willingness to get the ball forward quickly.
"I think we started OK. It was 4-4-2, a little bit different. We needed some adjustments to find the right dynamic," Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"It worked well, we created chances and should have scored before.