“I’m disappointed, although i can’t really say we lost the game because…..-” “Régis Le Bris Makes Bold Statement on Sunderland’s Loss: You won’t believe his defense of Dan Neil!”
Régis Le Bris shared his thoughts following Sunderland’s loss to Watford at Vicarage Road, highlighting some positives despite the defeat. He defended Dan Neil after Neil’s late foul allowed Tom Dele-Bashiru to score from the penalty spot.
Sunderland struggled in the early stages, with Festy Ebosele giving Watford a well-deserved lead. However, Le Bris was pleased with how his team fought back, particularly after Wilson Isidor equalized in the second half. The match saw back-and-forth action until the penalty, marking Sunderland’s second loss of the league campaign.
While disappointed with the result, Le Bris believes the experience will benefit his team in the long run.
“I’m disappointed,” he stated. “The first fifteen minutes were tough, as we expected. They exploited the width well, and we struggled with our back four. We adjusted by dropping Dan Neil to create a 5-4-1 formation, which helped us build play and progress into the final third. However, when we lost the ball, we gave them opportunities to counterattack. We played well in many situations but made critical mistakes in possession and lost too many duels, which affected the outcome.
“The margin between winning and losing at this level is very slim. We learned a lot during the game, and I appreciated how the team responded to early domination. This adaptability is crucial for us; while we didn’t win, this experience will be invaluable.”
Le Bris emphasized that Neil should have received more support during the build-up to the foul, praising the captain’s overall performance this season.
“Mistakes happen in football,” he noted. “I can’t say we lost because of Dan; that’s not accurate. I haven’t reviewed the incident yet, but I’m confident he needed more help during that long 1-v-1 situation. We will analyze it and identify various contributing factors involving other players.
“We expect reactions after a game like this, but Dan has the ability to excel in this role. Our other option, Salis, is currently unavailable. Dan performed well in the season opener, and despite today’s mistake, he has had a strong start.”
