Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Wolves at Molineux (15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
- Reflecting on last week’s 5-0 home defeat to Nottingham Forest, Le Bris said: “It has been a long week and the review was important. The game was a warning about how demanding this league is. When you drop your standards slightly, you get punished. We all have a responsibility, and we have to push forward.”
- Wolves have had a “difficult season” but some good results recently at home and will be “generating momentum for next season”.
- Jocelin Ta Bi “should be available this weekend”. A decision will be made on wingers Nilson Angulo and Bertrand Traore, who are both “in a good place”.
- On the pair’s possible return: “We tried to find other options but it’s not easy. I hope they will help but also, we know they haven’t played for a long period so we can’t expect a huge impact straight away. Sometimes you have to wait, but it will help.”
- Le Bris acknowledged the Black Cats’ defensive issues. “I don’t know if we dropped our standards or if our opponent found solutions to hurt us. Probably both. We are working hard, it’s not easy because it’s about small margins.”
- On targeting qualifying for Europe: “The players are always ambitious but at the same time, we have to say humble. If you start dreaming, maybe you can drop your standards. Probably the lesson from the previous games, two semi-finalists from the Europa League, nine goals we conceded and this is a lesson about our level right now. So the next challenge is to be competitive, to win and we’ll see what the three points mean in the table.”
- On finishing above Newcastle: “Hard to say, every game is different. It’s important for us to bounce back and then we’ll see. You can’t control the opponent. I expect different behaviours from the squad (to Forest) then we’ll see.”
Listen to more from Le Bris speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play on the clip above
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