Régis Le Bris delivers honest verdict on Sunderland defeat and explains why he 'isn't concerned'

Régis Le Bris says he is disappointed with Sunderland’s performance against Swansea City but insists that the bigger picture is getting his squad ready for the play-off campaign.

Sunderland struggled to create chances at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon and fell to a 1-0 defeat as a result of Ben Cabango’s goal in the second half. The Black Cats improved late on after the introduction of Enzo Le Fee and Eliezer Mayenda, but were unable to muster any significant openings.

Le Bris says his team have to improve but believes the slightly disjointed performances are an inevitable consequence of the rotation he feels is vital for the end-of-season fixtures.

"It's a disappointing result, especially at home," Le Bris said.

"We expect more. We wanted to win but it wasn't possible, we had a lot of the ball but we didn't create many chances. It was difficult to build up under their pressure, they were well organised and to be fair it wasn't easy to find a solution. We didn't find a good rhythm.

"I think we can find different reasons for our performance but I think probably the first is that in this period, it's important to manage the squad. We have to refresh some players, so for example so we're not rushing the process with Enzo. This option gives you a chance for Harrison, and a first league start is an experience you have to learn from. We are in this period with a specific goal at the end of the season. We want to win every game but we want to manage the squad, to build gradually the best shape of the squad so they are available [for the play-offs]. And during that time, we give young players opportunities to grow.

Why Le Bris isn’t concerned about Sunderland’s performances

"It's a weird period at the moment, a well deserved one because we have done very well,” Le Bris admitted.

“I understand it is hard for the fans at the moment because we have lost at home. We are unhappy with the result, 100%, this is clear - but at the same time the play-offs are clearly our main purpose. The first idea is to have fresh, available players. We have to manage the squad and I repeat, this also means we can give young players chances. They will grow for these experiences.

"We had good news with Salis being back on the pitch, managing Leo, we will have Jobe next week... we have a good dynamic. I think this is part of the process, I'm not concerned. We want to improve our game, of course. It doesn't mean we are happy with what we saw on the pitch, we are not, but we had well organised opponents and when you're not at your top level you struggle."

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