LE BRIS PRE FOREST

Regis Le Bris praised a number of Sunderland's summer signings, spoke about Saturday's opposition and reflected on life as a Premier League manager plus the increased media scrutiny it comes with.

FOREST

“What we do know about them, they have a strong squad with many threats. Wingers, strikers, good footballers, well-organised, offensive with a strong mindset. A dangerous opponent, that is obvious, we won’t have gifts from them. So, we have to play our best football and try to control their threats and play offensive and proactive football to score.”

NEW MAN ANGE

“He will need time to improve and create a new input with his ideas. But it is obvious that he is a really proactive, offensive coach. With the players he has in the squad, he can use many different options. They are really impressive in the final third, for example, and it will be tough for us to defend against them.”

FOREST SUCCESS

“It is a really good example to follow. Hopefully we will have the same success.”

FLEXIBLE TACTICS

“We will see. There are two sleeps before the game, so we will manage and process different ideas. We have to be adaptable and I think that is already the case if you watch our game. We defend in a 4-4-2 in the mid-press and when we go deeper it is more like a 5-4-1. So, we can start like that or we can keep the same structure, we will see. It is positive to have different options.”

NO FIRST HALF GOALS YET

“The games are often like that, more stable and well-organised for both teams. It is probably much harder to score in that part of the game. Later, it becomes much more open and chaotic and the defences are probably more vulnerable at that moment. After 45 minutes as well, you understand the opponent more for you to find opportunities. I think it is natural.”

WAS ROEFS FRUSTRATED WITH VILLA GOAL?

“Yes, for sure, because we don’t like it when we concede a goal! It is part of the process, I told you after Crystal Palace that he was absolutely fantastic and we need his performances to be competitive in the league. It is tough to maintain that level so we’ll need another player to step up, or two or three, it is always the case. So, maybe this shot was difficult to control but the team reacted really well and it shows that to win points, it is not just one man. It’s a full squad, which was the case against Aston Villa.”

LIFE IN THE PREM

“It is really positive and exciting because we are playing in the best league in the world. Every game is a new challenge, something to solve or achieve, with really good players. As a coach, I enjoy this experience.”

SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE

“I don’t know, to be fair. The only focus for me is the way we are playing on the pitch and I don’t want to be disturbed by other topics around. If you stay focused on our game and the way we want to improve the squad, I think that is enough for a coach!”

INCREASED MEDIA COVERAGE

“I think it is part of the journey in the Premier League and we accept that. I think it is important to show the identity of the club and give some insight into the way we are training and how the players behave every day. I think it is part of our job now, but at the same time we need to stay focused on our football.”

ALDERETE/MUKIELE BARGAINS

“I am not sure that the price is connected with the quality because the market can get crazy just with competitions (for a player) between two clubs for example. I think the most important thing is the football value rather than the monetary value. These two guys have shown good qualities on the pitch and they were consistent, which is positive.”

SADIKI

“He is not the only one, but it is one of his qualities to run and cover the spaces. We spoke earlier in the season about his running volume, and it is obviously one of his strengths, but at the same time sometimes it is possible to manage his energy to be a bit more efficient. I think it is getting better in this part of his game.”

PREM COMPLACENCY

“Not yet. It is not possible to think like that. We showed that we can be competitive through this first period but it is always a new challenge and it is really fragile. We are always talking about fine margins, small details that can make the difference. We are always on the edge and if we become complacent, we will be punished. So it is not possible to think like that, it is always a new challenge, something to achieve, something to chase. We are in this process.”