Noah Sadiki reveals Sunderland dressing room stance on Régis Le Bris and sends message to fans amid mounting pressure

Sunderland midfielder Noah Sadiki has insisted Régis Le Bris is not to blame for the club's alarming run of form, admitting the players must take responsibility for their recent performances.

The Black Cats suffered another disappointing defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League on Thursday evening, increasing the pressure on Le Bris ahead of Sunday's crucial Premier League encounter with Chelsea.

Sunderland's struggles have raised questions about the Frenchman's future, with sections of the fanbase increasingly frustrated by performances and results. However, Sadiki was unequivocal when asked whether the dressing room remained behind the head coach.

"Of course. I don’t think the gaffer is the problem," Sadiki said. "We are making the mistakes. He’s not making the mistakes. He’s putting in the players, and the players have enough quality. That’s why they’re all here. I don’t think the gaffer is a problem."

The midfielder also acknowledged that Sunderland's players are failing to deliver the standards expected of them, admitting they owe significant improvements to Le Bris and the supporters. "We owe it to him, and we owe it to ourselves as well. We owe it to the fans. We owe it to everybody who comes to support us every weekend and every European game. We’re letting a lot of people down. We’re letting ourselves down as well sometimes. We need to step up in the next game."

Sadiki's comments follow a similarly strong defence of Le Bris from Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka, who also insisted that the manager was not responsible for the club's current difficulties following last weekend's defeat at Coventry City.

The midfielder was equally candid when discussing what has gone wrong for Sunderland, suggesting that the team are failing to work collectively and are not showing the required effort. "Things are not going our way. We are not putting in the effort that we need to. We need to get back on the same page. Pushing in the same direction, even though it’s difficult."

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Sunderland supporters made their frustrations clear following the defeat to Dinamo Zagreb, and Sadiki admitted their dissatisfaction was entirely understandable. "It’s understandable. It’s understandable that they are not happy at the moment because we are not at 100% of our quality right now. I won’t say many players. Everyone on the team is on another level right now.

“We need to step up. It’s the same players as last season. I don’t think the quality is gone. I don’t think the morale is gone. I think it’s a difficult moment, like I’m saying. It’s a really difficult moment. There is a moment where we need to step up as a team. Everybody is on their own." Asked whether confidence had become an issue, Sadiki added: "It can be, but I don’t think confidence is something that you can rely on because confidence comes and goes. I don’t think you can rely on confidence."

Sunderland now face another significant test against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light, with Le Bris under increasing scrutiny and his players desperate to arrest their worrying decline.

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