Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has demanded greater consistency from his players after a 3-1 defeat at newly-promoted Coventry City left the Black Cats bottom of the Premier League table.
The loss at the Coventry Building Society Arena was punctuated by individual errors that proved costly for the visitors, whose misery was compounded late on when Omar Alderete was sent off after receiving a second yellow card from referee Simon Hooper.
Costly errors and a lack of goals
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, Taiwo Awoniyi and Jack Rudoni scored for the hosts, who recorded their third win of the season having lost their other six matches. Sunderland have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, and the goal at Coventry was their only one in the last four top-flight fixtures, coming from the penalty spot as Enzo Le Fee converted in the second half.
The result has increased scrutiny on Le Bris, who has faced calls for his removal from some fans and described his players' performances as 'unacceptable'.
Le Bris: 'Consistency is the key word'
Reflecting on the display, Le Bris highlighted the impact of individual errors and the need for greater consistency.
“We gave two opportunities from two unforced errors,” he told safc.com. “We changed the momentum of the game and after that we had good spells and created chances. But this inconsistency is not acceptable at all. Consistency is the key word in this league. If you keep making individual mistakes, the opponent will kill you.”
The head coach also acknowledged the need to improve in possession and tighten Sunderland’s defensive structure, as the team's lack of goals is putting pressure on the backline.
Relegation six-pointer and a fight ahead
The fixture was widely viewed as a relegation six-pointer, with Coventry second from bottom at the start of play. While Frank Lampard's side gained a boost, Le Bris and his players face a return to the drawing board as they adapt to the demands of league action alongside European football.
Le Bris added: “We want to have good control of the game, but it’s not possible for different reasons. Maybe we’re a bit too exposed or not solid enough in different areas of the pitch.
“We won’t give up. We’re trying to find solutions. We don’t look for excuses. We want to assume the reality and work hard. I’m still combative with the players, and we have to get better through consistency.”
