5 things learned from Régis Le Bris Sunderland press conference with interesting hints dropped for Bournemouth
Sunderland are looking to bounce back from their defeat to Fulham when they face Bournemouth on Saturday
Régis Le Bris held his pre-match press conference on Thursday afternoon as Sunderland prepare to face Bournemouth at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Phil Smith was there reporting for The Echo and here he takes you inside the press room to bring you up to speed with everything we learned...
Le Bris might switch formation - but don't expect a significant shift in approach
Le Bris's press conference was mostly dominated by reflections on Sunderland's defeat to Fulham, a rare off day in what has otherwise been an exhilarating season. The Sunderland head coach noted that his reflections on the game remained mostly the same as they were in the immediate aftermath of the defeat, his belief being that his team had been unable to sustain the intensity they needed to get a result out of the game.
The clear inference was that he didn't feel the formation was primarily to blame, and certainly not for the team's poor attacking output. What he did acknowledge is that while a back five allows his team generally to defend their box very well, it can cause some issues with their pressing a little higher. In short, he's aware that it can force them a little deeper than they ideally would be. The back five is clearly going to be used a lot more this season and in fairness, most fans would expect it to be given how effective it proved against Chelsea and Arsenal. Le Bris did leave to the door very much open to reverting to a back four, however, and it will be fascinating to see if he does so against Bournemouth.
What Le Bris clearly has no intention of changing is the overall structure and shape of the side, which is designed to keep things defensively secure first and foremost. The Sunderland head coach again restated his belief that the final third is the hardest part for a newly-promoted side to develop, and that it's a process which will take a period of time to get right. His belief is that trying to push Sunderland too far, too quickly risks undoing the defensive strength which has ultimately powered their strong start to the season.
Sunderland fans might see a few changes to the XI tomorrow, but they shouldn't expect a dramatic transformation. And rightly so. Bournemouth, like Fulham, are a very strong and firmly established Premier League side who command respect from one still very much finding their feet at the level.
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Sunderland rotation is coming
While Le Bris's starting XI has this season usually been fairly easy to predict, that is going to change. Sunderland have now been through their last international break until March and the fixtures are soon going to start piling up. Le Bris revealed he had addressed his players this week and told them to be ready, because while he had prioritised stability in the opening weeks of the campaign, changes were now going to be inevitable in the weeks ahead. For those who have endured a frustrating season so far, opportunity is about to knock.
Picking the bench for Bournemouth is going to be as hard as picking the team
Régis Le Bris confirmed that Romaine Mundle is now back in contention for selection, having made a goalscoring return for the U21s at the Stadium of Light last week. It has been a superb start to the season for the Black Cats but their attacking output hasn't always been great, and the return of such a dynamic forward who gets shots away with such ease is a big boost. It also leave Le Bris with a pretty significant headache not just with his starting XI for Saturday, but also the make up of his bench. Le Bris had to leave Chris Rigg out of the matchday squad last Saturday, feeling that he needed an additional defender for cover. Mundle's return further increases competition for places, particularly in attacking areas.
It's good news ahead of AFCON next month, but there will be some disappointed players in the meantime.
Dennis Cirkin's comeback still a little while away
While Sunderland are confident Mundle is ready to return after a few weeks of full training and 45 minutes in the U21s, Le Bris confirmed that the club are giving Dennis Cirkin a little longer before bringing him back into the matchday fold. The Black Cats are determined to get Cirkin past his injury issues for good and they'll also be keeping the bigger picture in mind: Sunderland won't have another senior left back during AFCON and so the key is ensuring the 23-year-old is ready to feature when it comes around. It might be that Le Bris initially moves Trai Hume or Lutsharel Geertruida across from the start of games, but Cirkin will have an important role to play. It makes sense to avoid any unnecessary risk in the interim.
Bournemouth a template for Sunderland as they look to stabilise at Premier League level
Le Bris was effusive in his praise for Bournemouth, highlighting how well they have done to establish themselves in the top tier over recent years. Their ascent from promotion to having genuine designs on the top half of the table is clearly a path that Sunderland wish to emulate, but it was interesting that Le Bris noted how it was also the style of play that his team would like to develop. Under Andoni Iraola Bournemouth are aggressive in their pressing and waste little time in their attacking. It's a high-intensity style that Sunderland feel fits their own club and what their fanbase wants to see on a regular basis. Sunderland's mentality and resilience and often their intensity has been there this season, but they're still very much building their attacking style and are not yet at the point where they can press as relentlessly as they would like. As Le Bris said, it will take time - just as it has done for Bournemouth.
Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris's Sunderland XI and bench to face Bournemouth predicted