RLB PRE ZAGREB
Regis Le Bris welcomes the challenge of Dinamo Zagreb tomorrow night and explained the extent of Habib Diarra's latest injury. Thankfully, due to UEFA injury rules, Chemsdine Talbi is able to replace the midfielder in our Europa League squad.
HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED
“It is not a distraction. I’m happy to experience the Europa League of course, as it helps the team and squad to get better. Pure joy.”
DIARRA OUT
“Probably around six weeks from the first diagnosis. We are sad for him. At the same time it gives us the opportunity to swap Habib for Chemsdine. Because of the restriction on the UEFA list, it helps. Habib worked hard to get back after the previous injury. We expected to have him, because he is important in our squad, so we have to understand exactly the injury, the ‘why’ and prepare him for the next comeback.
TALBI IN
"It is important because we need every player. We don’t have many injuries but they are serious. Romaine, Ballard and now Habib. But for the others, they want to play. That’s a really positive vibe and we can feel it on the pitch. This morning we worked with the starting 11 and the others want to show that they want to play. We want to prove that we are a good team and we can bounce back.”
BALLARD UPDATE
“I am pleased because this morning he was on the bike, which is good. It shows he is really close to running on the pitch, which is going to be next week, but the target is around mid-December to join the training sessions if everything is okay.”
COVENTRY DEFEAT, XHAKA POST-MATCH
“We are talking about standards. Our game model is clear, we know what we want to do in different phases and we struggled on our high press against Coventry. We wanted to go man-for-man and we didn’t face their mobility. It was probably a bit unusual if we compare it to the games we experienced before. Some of the lads stayed between two positions, and if one, two, three or four players are aligned on one idea but half of the squad is not aligned, then you can’t build momentum. Coventry were able to play long without pressure, they kept the ball between our lines and the momentum was disrupted. It is about this. We know what we want to do when we are on the pitch, if we are not aligned we can’t be efficient. This was the topic with Granit (post-match).”
FIXTURE DEMAND
“Growing pains. Simple. Is it unexpected? I would say know. We are experiencing probably the most demanding challenge Sunderland has ever faced in its history. Premier League, Europa League, quarter-final in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup later. We earned it last season and we are pleased to be in this position, but playing every three days is much more demanding than preparing a game with one full week. It is a new journey, not for everyone because many of our players experienced this situation before, but it’s still a new group with just one year together. When you don’t set the standards properly - like was the case against Coventry - in one specific area, in the Premier League it’s just like the Champions League because every team is really strong, relentless and well-prepared, and you can’t win. I think we are still competitive, we trust our team and our level, but repeating performances is different. This is the new step.”
PREM VS EUROPE
“I think the gap is big. It’s positive for the Premier League first of all because it shows the level. The difference between the top and the league is not so big, and it’s really tight. For us, it means that every three days you have to reset and set the highest standards possible. It’s a new journey.”
PROBLEM WITH INTEGRATING YOUNG SIGNING?
“I don’t think so. I think the integration of the young players is really good. Obviously after one intense year last season the core of the group was really well connected, so when you join this group it is not so easy. But I think they feel welcome and they have to step up to show their quality because they are talented.”
CHANGE IN TACTICS
“Consistency is key, but making decisions to evolve is also important. We have those conversations with the leaders and the coaching staff about what we need to improve to get better. Is it the shape, the way we play, the way we build up, the way we press? It is important to stick to the identity because if we move from one side to the other, you lose your strength. But at the same time, if you don’t evolve you probably don’t adapt. So it is important to think about those topics.”
ZAGREB
“They are not so bad in their domestic league. They are a good team, it was with a clear 4-3-3, well organised and really clean, interesting to analyse. When you change the coach just before a game, you never know what will happen, but we also observed two or three games of their reserve team which was interesting. In that moment, the most important focus is us. When you don’t know how the opponent will evolve, you focus on your strength. I think we have to show our identity once again to prove what we are. That is probably the main focus. I think often we look at the attacking threat. It is clear that the nine, the eleven and the rotation in midfield are really interesting. For us, it is going to be key to manage those threats.”
GAMES EVERY 3 DAYS
“It is demanding and it is really positive to experience this situation, because until you face it you don’t know what you have to create and how you have to evolve to manage the situation. It’s new for me as well and it’s new for the coaching staff, it’s new for the club, for this group. When we prepare game and game and game, sometimes you miss the opportunity to review the games, for example. We are evolving in our setup and it is positive for the methodology and the way we are growing together.”
USE THE SQUAD
“I enjoy playing many games. It is different, the games in these first phase are more open I think and teams play with freedom, often showing their best version, which is good. It helps the full squad because we have different options to get more experience. For example Jules (Ahoka) plays in this competition, he plays game after game and that is the best way to improve.”
