Sunderland boss makes Enzo Le Fee call that should get supporters excited
REGIS LE BRIS is delighted that Enzo Le Fee has hit the ground running since signing for Sunderland, but the Black Cats boss feels the French midfielder is currently only operating at 70 per cent of his full capabilities.
Le Fee joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Serie A side Roma earlier this month, having previously worked under Le Bris during his time with Lorient.
The 24-year-old impressed on his debut in last week’s goalless draw at Burnley, and caught the eye again on Tuesday night as he delivered a series of neat passes and through balls in his side’s 1-0 win at Derby County.
Le Fee boasts a strong pedigree, having been linked with possible moves to Liverpool and Arsenal during his time in France’s Ligue 1, so Le Bris was always confident his compatriot would not be fazed by a move to the Championship.
And while he has been happy with Le Fee’s performances in his first two games, he is confident there is much more to come once the midfielder fully gets his rhythm back after a spell in which he was struggling to get into the team at Roma.
“Enzo has a very good level and a very good mindset,” said the Sunderland boss. “But I think the Enzo we have right now is probably at 70 per cent of what he is capable of because he didn’t play a lot before coming here.
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“Now, it is just a question of him getting minutes because that is what he needs. Then, I think we will have a better Enzo in two or three weeks’ time.
“I am sure there is more to come from him, but it is good to see him at the levels he has been at in his first two games. I am sure he will improve his levels even further in the next few weeks, and that will be good for all of us.”
Le Fee has joined a Sunderland side that are targeting promotion, with Tuesday’s win at Pride Park having cemented the club’s position in the play-off spots.
The Black Cats dominated for an hour against a struggling Derby side, but were forced to withstand a late rally that saw Paul Warne’s triple substitution change the flow of the game.
Anthony Patterson was forced to make two excellent full-stretch saves to claw away headers from Lars-Jorgen Salvesen, with Le Bris only too aware of the goalkeeper’s importance to Sunderland’s ongoing promotion push.
“It is very important for the team to have two or three players who can make the difference in any game,” said Le Bris. “Obviously, the goalkeepers and the strikers are always very important because they can decide the outcome of a game.
“Their positions are really involved in deciding the final score. We are very happy to have Patto – I thought he was very impressive here again.”
