Last Friday night was a nightmare for Wilson Isidor, who missed two penalties in the goalless draw against Burnley, but Regis Le Bris insists some good can come from that.
Described as the worst night of Isidor’s life, his penalty misses ultimately cost Sunderland all three points at Turf Moor.
Still, a point away at one of the strongest teams in the Championship is not to be sniffed at, and it keeps the Black Cats in the promotion race.
Now, though, it’s important that Regis Le Bris gets the whole team back on track and raises spirits, and the Frenchman has opened up about the feeling in the dressing room after Isidor’s misses.
Sunderland players made Isidor decision together, and Le Bris respects that
Speaking to the press (via the club’s official YouTube account) ahead of the Derby County vs Sunderland game on Tuesday night, Le Bris shared information about the discussions among the players after the incident.
He said: “Yes there has been a discussion. But it’s less emotional now. It’s better to avoid a strong discussion straight after as we were disappointed — we created big opportunities, but we were frustrated.
“But after, it’s possible to talk, the player discussed it, and it’s part of the process. I’m sure we will learn from the experience, even if it was difficult.”
On how the decision came around to let Isidor take the second penalty despite his earlier miss, Le Bris revealed the Sunderland squad made that call among themselves there and then, and that he is not disappointed by that choice.
He added: “At the end it is easier to say it wasn’t the best decision, but they made that decision together and I respect that. Despite hesitations, they did this together and they assumed it was the best.
“The shot wasn’t the best choice, but the way we want to build the team is to give them responsibility on the pitch. You can succeed or fail, but they committed to working together and making mistakes.”
Finally, Le Bris was asked whether Wilson Isidor will remain the team’s chosen penalty taker, and said: “Wilson has stayed behind to take penalties… we will see if he is still the penalty taker. It is a question of choice.
“Wilson was probably used to shooting like that, but now he has to be open to different shots from the spot. It will be a useful experience.”
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The way Sunderland react to those penalty misses will be huge for the young squad
The fact that the very young Sunderland players all rallied round and made the decision to let Isidor take that second penalty speaks volumes for the mentality and togetherness of the squad.
Sometimes, it takes a really disappointing moment or incident to unite a set of players, and this could well be it for Sunderland. And, the best thing is, they still didn’t lose the game, even if they perhaps deserved to win.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 27 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 51 | 19 | 32 | 56 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 27 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 38 | 17 | 21 | 55 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 27 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 31 | 9 | 22 | 53 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 27 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 39 | 22 | 17 | 51 |
| 5 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 27 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 31 | 24 | 7 | 42 |
| 6 |  West BromWest Brom | 27 | 9 | 14 | 4 | 33 | 22 | 11 | 41 |
How the players move on from this, in particular their immediate reaction against Derby this week, will be a huge signal of intent for whether Sunderland can remain on track for promotion.
It has been really impressive to see the Sunderland squad grow over the season, and they’ve shown a real mental fortitude and resilience as the weeks have gone by, not only to stay in the race at the top of the table, but to genuinely push on and improve as a unit.
That is something their promotion rivals can’t buy, but this latest test is a big one. Still, there can be no doubt that Sunderland have got what it takes to get past it and become even stronger as a result.