Regis Le Bris: Sunderland deserved to win against Stoke City
Regis Le Bris believes his Sunderland side deserved to win against Stoke while highlighting their deficiencies in front of goal.
The Black Cats lost further ground in their bid to achieve promotion on Sunday (29 December) with a 1-0 defeat at Stoke, despite having plenty of chances in the game.
Sunderland hit the woodwork on several occasions but couldn’t find the crucial finishing touch, with Eliezer Mayenda failing to improve on his showing against Blackburn, but Le Bris remained positive despite the result.
Speaking to Sunderland club channels [29 December] after the game, the Frenchman said; “Yes, disappointed, obviously, because especially during the second half, I think we created many chances and we had the opportunity to score. I think we deserved to win today.
“It’s not a drama. This league is like a marathon, so obviously sometimes you can’t have the clinical finishing we should have today to win this game, during the second half especially.
“So it’s still a process. Football is always unpredictable.”
Sunderland need January additions to win the marathon
With several players out injured, Sunderland’s lack of depth was evident and their goalscoring woes continued.
On many occasions this season, the Black Cats have been made to rue their missed chances and the encounter at the Bet365 stadium was no different with Mayenda missing the golden opportunity of the game with a header from 6 yards.
As a whole, the performance brought positives as the Mackems dominated large spells of the game but their lack of cutting edge in the final third needs to be addressed and the signing of Louie Barry could go a long way towards achieving that.
Sunderland will find it hard to keep up with the likes of Sheffield United and Leeds, but with the right business in January, there is no reason why they can’t.
Once again, ambition will be a key word in the coming weeks with supporters keen to see their club utilise the window to the best of their ability.
In other Sunderland news, one player deserves more credit for his performances on Wearside.
For more Sunderland news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.