RLB PRE CHELSEA

Ahead of our final game of this Premier League season, Regis Le Bris was asked to reflect on his time at the club and the excellent journey he's taken us on. The Lads are in a position where European football could come to Wearside for the first time since 1974 but Le Bris was keen to avoid comparisons between this match and last season's play-off campaign. As always, he was keen to take it one game at a time - focus on doing our job, and don't be distracted by outside permutations.

RLB’S TIME AT SAFC

“It’s been a long journey and really good so far. This game is a good opportunity to celebrate the end of the season at home against a strong opponent, in front of our fans to enjoy the moment. It’s important.”

SHAME IF WE MISS EUROPE?

“I don’t think so because at the minute we have 51 points and an opportunity to get three more, to reach 54 which is impressive for our first season back in the Premier League after eight years away. We’ve played good football, we respected our identity, we grew, learned, improved. We struggled at times as well which is normal in this league. And yes, we have an opportunity to get three more points. If the planets align elsewhere then maybe something exceptional will happen, but it is not fully in our hands.”

BOUNCE BACK ABILITY

“We had one game that was really painful at home, for example, and it wasn’t even from a mentality perspective but it was just a step back. In this league if your opponent is on a good day with many gamechangers, efficient and clinical, you can get punished really quickly. It was painful but the Lads reacted really well, kept improving, kept playing good football and showed good mentality. I am really proud of the last part of the season. It’s even too early to finish because I feel in the training sessions every day, and in the mood in the dressing room, that we still want to play football together. The game at Everton for example was really good for that, the energy, the quality of football with different elements to solve on the pitch.”

CONSISTENCY HAS BEEN KEY

“I think it’s about consistency. We didn’t set a limit before but we expected tough periods. I think when we had those tough periods, we stayed consistent. As a manager it’s really important to keep the right level for the mood. Not too high, not too low. It gives the daily routine some stability and consistency. I appreciate this part.”

LEADERSHIP

“We need good players, strong characters and different types of personalities. I think the balance was really good this season. Young players with probably less opinion about what is going on on the pitch but always ready to play with freedom. And then maybe more senior players who understand they will face turning points in the season, and it’s really important to react. So, a good balance.”

CHELSEA CHAOS

“This is football. At many clubs when a team is struggling, the first target is always the manager - sometimes it is a good decision (to sack him), sometimes it’s a bad decision. Overall I think stability in a club is often the right direction because if you want to build something, if you change your point of view every three or four months then it’s hard for the players to build on it.”

REVERSE FIXTURE

“It was a great moment and probably our foundation to play away with this belief that it is possible to win. I remember Granit’s speech before that game, he spoke about belief. It was an element that ‘we will win here’ which is impressive from his perspective. It was an important win away from home.”

SOMETHING TO PLAY FOR

“We showed it at Everton, we want to keep playing all the way until the last minute with the belief that we want to win. After that we will see for the outcome of the season, but at least it has already been a fantastic season and it could be even better with three more points. The rest, we don’t know!”

INJURY UPDATE

“(Alderete) might be difficult. We’ll make a late decision tomorrow after the training session, but it will be difficult. At the minute Chemsdine will be sidelined as well, he picked up a muscle injury this week at the end of a session, so he won’t be available.”

ENZO LE FEE

“I won’t comment on his celebration, but I can comment on his football because that is the most important for me! Enzo did really well, I am really pleased with the way he plays. Especially in the central area because I think it fits his profile. Not only his profile, but also what we need as a team in the centre to be vertical and connect with Brian. It is so difficult in this league to score after 10, 15, 20 passes. It is often around counter-attack moments and when we get the ball in the middle, whether it is Noah, Granit or Enzo, they can go really quickly forward. His connection with Brian is becoming impressive and they are looking for each other all the tim. Often Enzo looks for Brian, and Brian scores. It’s a really good connection.”

VILLA DID IT, WHY NOT US?

“Unai Emery is impressive first of all, and Aston Villa are doing well. We have our own journey. Two years ago we were in a different position, now we are in a really good place. It’s important to go step-by-step. Sometimes when you can seize an opportunity, you should do it when it’s on. We did it last season, we did it this season, and after that we will keep improving our structure, our foundation, our ambition, which is the most important thing.”

RELYING ON OTHER RESULTS

“We won’t (keep an eye on the scores) directly. I think in the stands everyone will have the information and it will be a passive workflow! For us, the most important thing is to win and just to see. It is a really strong opponent and we can’t underestimate Chelsea. It’s impossible. They have gamechangers, talent everywhere on the pitch. We have to play our best football.”

WHAT’S A BIGGER ACHIEVEMENT, PLAY-OFFS OR EUROPE?

“It is a different stage of our journey. Wembley was fantastic, the connection with our fans, the moment was really impressive. We don’t know what will happen in the future but I repeat - if we stay connected with our identity, playing with our twelfth man on Sunday, then maybe we can beat Chelsea and after that, we will see.”

SEASON OVERVIEW

“I think demanding and challenging are the two words I have in my mind at the minute. In front of that we showed identity, consistency, togetherness. This is what I can say at the end of the season and I hope it will be the case against Chelsea on Sunday once again. It has already been the perfect season. I repeat, after that (Europe) is not in our hands so what can we control at the minute? Just the game against Chelsea. It is more than enough.”

LIKE A PLAY-OFF FINAL

“I think it’s going to be a different experience. Chelsea have something to play for as well, they want to qualify for Europe. It is not the same environment, not the same moment, not the same stage for this group as well. Last season we went through a marathon with players who had played together in the Championship before and some of them in League One as well. That was more or less the end of a journey. This year it was going to be a different environment, a different stage for us. It is more or less the beginning of a new journey, I think, so we will see.”

WORLD CUP PREDICTIONS

“It is hard to say. If we speak about talents then it is always the same teams, but after that you have the dynamic and the momentum in the competition. Before playing it, you don’t know what will happen. It’s always like that. I hope it will be a surprise. If France or England can play well then that’s going to be good for football.”

SIMILAR TO COVENTRY SEMI?

“It is a little bit different because that was the second leg and with something to defend, because we had won away. That wasn’t easy to manage. To be fair, when we conceded the goal I felt that the team played better because then we had to win something. It is not always easy to manage this situation. Against Chelsea, we only have something to win. Nothing to lose. It’s a perfect situation and hopefully we can enjoy it.”

TEAM TALKS

“I don’t remember. It is going to be different this time, for sure, because I cannot use the same story. It is always something different, something new to create. I just want to enjoy the moment and, I repeat, stay competitive, keep pushing forward as a team because I feel that we are improving every day. It’s another opportunity to go further.”