'Going to be stronger': Régis Le Bris explains why poor performance could benefit Sunderland in long run

Régis Le Bris remains hopeful that his decision to freshen up his Sunderland side on Saturday will bolster the club's promotion aspirations in the long run.

A stoppage-time equaliser from Plymouth Argyle meant that the Black Cats dropped two points in the race for automatic promotion, with Le Bris facing criticism from supporters for his decision to bring Salis Abdul Samed into the starting XI for the first time. That move saw Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham take up more attacking positions, with Neil used almost exclusively as the team's deep-lying midfielder so far this season.

The draw with bottom-of-the-table Argyle felt like major missed opportunity for Sunderland, especially as Sheffield United had suffered a surprise defeat to Hull City on home turf the night before. And while accepting that it was a poor result for the Black Cats, Le Bris insisted that his work to expand the pool of players match fit and ready for the run in would be a positive.

"It has been Dan's main position in the past," Le Bris said.

"Probably he will need a little bit more time to connect with this triangle on the right side but it's not just about this game. We are disappointed today but we have to build our strength for the last rounds of the season. This experience will be useful for us at the end of the season. We have two players again [getting minutes] today, Enzo and Salis, who can help the team. Jobe also played higher up the pitch, so we are creating other options to deal with all the different scenarios we will face. If we have more options available, we are going to be stronger as a team."

Le Bris was also pleased to see Wilson Isidor end a challenging week with a goal, and praised the 24-year-old for his commitment to the team.

"it shows when you are consistent, you will be involved," Le Bris said.

"It is a good example for the team. Wilson is always at 100%, he wants to score but he wants to defend even when he struggles. He doesn't search for excuses, he takes responsibility."