Regis Le Bris has been speaking to the press ahead of his side’s clash with Sheffield United on Friday night, and insists the run of draws is not an issue for Sunderland.
After an incredible start to the season had Sunderland at the top of the Championship table, Regis Le Bris has seen his side slip to third in the table after five straight draws.
The Black Cats are still unbeaten in ten games, though, and the Sunderland manager is clearly staying positive about the run of results.
While the Sheffield United vs Sunderland game is a huge opportunity for both teams to claim a big three points, Le Bris sees other benefits from playing these opponents.
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Sunderland are pushing themselves against the best teams in the league
In his latest press conference (via Sunderland’s official YouTube channel), Le Bris was asked about the recent run of results and how he feels about the dropped points, but the Frenchman preferred to see that as points gained from challenging matches.
“It’s a good challenge. It’s very exciting, we have new scenarios and new elements to master. A different style of team to play against,” Le Bris said. “We need strong opponents to help us grow and to find and push our limits, and to recognise we are doing well.”
“When we struggle with five draws, it’s not perfect, but we played Millwall and West Brom, very tough teams. In the end we are really facing the challenges and mindsets,” he added.
So, while the draws may be frustrating for fans and players alike, it is obvious Le Bris feels his young team have learned a lot from the experiences both on and off the field.
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This season has shown immense progress for Sunderland already
It is worth remembering how far Sunderland have come in the last few months under their new manager, and that the squad is incredibly young and inexperienced at this level.
West Brom manager Carlos Corberan praised Sunderland for their effective pressing and chance creation on Tuesday night, and it says a lot that a team of this nature has adopted Le Bris’ methods so quickly and brilliantly.
They will now face an even sterner test against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, but regardless of the result there, it seems Sunderland will end up in the upper regions of the league table this year, which is a huge improvement on last season’s 16th place finish.
Le Bris is laying strong foundations at Sunderland, and if they don’t achieve promotion this year, it certainly bodes well for them to go on and achieve that next season at the very least.