What Sunderland's relegation rivals are saying after Regis Le Bris admission
Sunderland are in a battle to avoid relegation according to Regis Le Bris - and there have a number of rivals at the wrong end of the Premier League table.
Sunderland are in the midst of a relegation battle following Saturday’s defeat at Coventry City - according to head coach Regis Le Bris.
The Black Cats are sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table after the defeat at the CBS Arena stretched their poor run of form to just one win in their first nine league games and left them two points from safety.
When asked if his side were in a relegation battle during his post-match press conference following the defeat against the Sky Blues, Le Bris said: “It's obvious. If you look at the table, there's no doubt about the situation. I think Sunderland in the Premier League for the second year has to have this mindset, the underdog mentality. I repeat, the situation is not unexpected. We started the season with this understanding of how demanding it could be, and it's the case. So we are ready for that. Are we happy? I repeat, no. Are we worried? Always, because it's football. Elite football is like that. You can't relax at all. Are we combative? Yes. Are we resilient? Yes. Are we together? Yes. And we'll bounce back quickly.”
Although the focus is now on Thursday’s Europa League tie against Dinamo Zagreb, Sunderland are facing up to a tough challenge to return to winning ways in the Premier League with Chelsea and Aston Villa lying in wait on either side of the upcoming international break.
After Le Bris’ admission his side are in a battle for survival, we take a look at what other managers at the wrong end of the table are saying about their own side’s plight.
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Oliver Glasner (Nottingham Forest - 19th place)
The former Crystal Palace head coach caused a stir with some frank comments in the aftermath of his side’s defeat at Brentford on Saturday and even hinted his short reign with Forest could come to an end.
Speaking to Match of the Day after the defeat, he said: "It's now time not to make compromises, it's now time to show a clear way and everybody has to follow. And if they don't want to follow, then I guess then the sixth manager will come in. "Today is completely clear, we have to change something, a few things.
"I have to change a few things, and I will change a few things, 100%. We can't continue in the same way, we have to change a few things, and that's the key. We are making too many mistakes, the defence, then we are down. We controlled the game. It's so obvious. We are slow, making the same mistakes, always different players."
Pierre Sage (Crystal Palace - 18th place)
The former Lyon boss has secured just two wins in his first nine games and watched on as his side suffered a 2-0 defeat against ever improving Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. However, Sage struck a defiant tone in the aftermath of the loss as he said: "Yes, [relegation], it's a disaster for every club in the Premier League and especially that I have to speak about my club. You know I'm not comfortable with the situation in the table, but it's a consequence of what we did bad on the pitch. My only way to change a thing is to go on the pitch. That is why I talk to the players and I want to be the first on the pitch on Monday. They can trust in me. I will never give up.”
Michael Carrick (Manchester United - 17th place)
The Red Devils are the talk of the Premier League at the moment after sliding down the table. Talk over Carrick’s future at Old Trafford has increased in recent days - but the former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder has brushed off any fears over being sucked into a battle against relegation.
Speaking after Saturday’s defeat at Chelsea, he said: "Not for me, no. We've got to keep moving forward and winning games, simple as that. There's no words that I'm going to explain to you now that makes it [being in relegation zone] any difference, it's not going to change it. We've got to move forward and win football matches, it's as simple as that."
Frank Lampard (Coventry City - 16th place)
The Sky Blues moved two points clear of the relegation zone with a home win against Sunderland on Saturday. Speaking after the win, head coach Frank Lampard admitted some of his players were still adapting to life in the Premier League and called for patience.
He said: The issue for us is sometimes some of our players have not played in the Premier League so they're desperate to, but they're learning as they go and this is the highest level. Sometimes they come into the club and need to adapt a little bit so sometimes you feel like now they're more ready and you want to get them into the team,"
Alvaro Arbeloa (Fulham - 15th place)
Arbeloa’s side claimed a battling point against Aston Villa on Saturday thanks to an own goal from home keeper Zion Suzuki. After a difficult start to life in the Premier League, the Spanish boss has thanked supporters for their backing after his side opened up a two-point gap on the drop zone.
Speaking on Match of the Day, the former Real Madrid defender said: "For me it's really important because we are here for them. This club belongs to them, they are so important, they are travelling so we can feel their support behind us. Today was a good night for everyone because we did well, and I hope they are proud of the team."
Your next Sunderland read: Phil Smith: My honest thoughts on the situation at Sunderland and Régis Le Bris's position