Regis Le Bris under no illusions over Sunderland's task with 'consistency' message sent

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris insists his side will need to play their “best football” against Bristol City to come away with a victory from Tuesday night's clash.

The Black Cats take on the Robins at the Stadium of Light tomorrow evening in a 7.45pm kick-off, as they look to back up Saturday’s 2-1 victory against Stoke City with another home win. Le Bris’ side sit fourth in the Championship table, on 36 points from 19 matches played, while the Robins are 12th in the division, on 25 points after 19 games.

Liam Manning’s side head into the clash off the back of a 3-0 defeat at Portsmouth, who were bottom of the league prior to their victory, but Le Bris is anticipating a challenging encounter.

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“It’s still a tough game, and we have to be very respectful with every opponent in our league,” the Sunderland head coach said at Monday’s pre-match press conference. “They are well coached, they have a good team, good players, and their style of play is very positive, and they can create chances, especially in behind, they are very vertical.

“We have to play our best football, because if it’s not the case, probably we will struggle. Even when we play our best football we struggle, so we don’t have the choice. It’s a question of consistency, and if we keep improving our game model, our way of playing in every phase, I hope we will continue to win, and this is our main goal.”

Saturday’s victory against Stoke ended a run of six games without a win for the Black Cats, who drew five on the bounce before losing 1-0 at Sheffield United. Le Bris praised his young side for the way they dealt with the recent winless streak, adding: “I think in our mind, when you dominate the game and you don’t win, it’s difficult, because maybe you can become a little bit tense, and the doubt can introduce a little bit in your mind.

“We were consistent, so I’m very happy, because in that period, we drew five times, we lost the game at Sheffield (United), it wasn’t deserved I think, and we created many chances the last four games, and we didn’t score a lot, and we kept the consistency.

“I think it’s a good sign, because especially with a young team, when you are not rewarded, you can maybe give up a little bit, and it wasn’t the case. At the end, we scored, we won, and it’s good news for us, for the team, for the fans and for the club, and for that mindset, it’s good for the foundation. It’s not easy in that period, and we were consistent under difficult circumstances.”

On the availability front, Luke O’Nien is a doubt, with the club captain playing through illness in Saturday’s victory. However, the Black Cats are able to welcome back Chris Mepham into the fold, with the centre-back having served a one-match suspension.

“It’s very important for us, because he’s experienced. He knows the level, and he’s a good player,” Le Bris said on Mepham’s return.

“It’s a good problem for me to have, for the staff as well, to have good players in the same area, they can push each other. When we have a suspension and injuries, we are still a good back four.”