How did Sunderland manage to sign Noah Sadiki?
Sunderland have made a strong start to the season after an extensive summer recruitment drive
Understanding what a player might be able to bring you on the pitch has never been easier.
Clubs can scout not just in person but on laptops, through endless hours of footage and extensive data research. If you want to sign a player good in the air or good at retaining possession, you've got a better chance of doing that now than you ever have done. But there's a reason why recruitment remains anything but an exact science.
Harder to judge is how a player will adapt to a new league, a new environment, a new dressing room. Perhaps more impressive than the calibre of player Sunderland signed this summer is how the 14 they brought in have so clearly bought into the team culture.
Players such as Nordi Mukiele and Lutsharel Geertruida have for a number of years been competing in elite European environments, but have bought completely into what was supposed to be a relegation battle on Wearside.
Régis Le Bris believes it is a product of Sunderland's careful process. While watching footage is key to understanding a player's skills and weaknesses, it also brings clues as to their personality and how they cope with adversity.
Le Bris explained: "It's really important in the recruitment process. When you analyse a player through footage, you can watch his technical abilities, his physical attributes and so on, but you can observe his behaviours as well. For us, it's really important.
"If we say our identity is based on different key pillars, one of these key pillars is the connection, the ability to play with your teammates. You have to assess it. Sometimes it's not easy to find this particular ability, but if you want to watch it, you can find some cues when you watch a game. For example, how do they respond to an error for a team mate? How can he manage different situations with the relationship of his teammates as well? It's really interesting."
The togetherness Sunderland have quickly forged this season, however, is a surprise even to Le Bris.
"So far, we signed 14 players," Le Bris said.
"They are like a family [which normally happens] after one, two or three seasons. It's strange sometimes, but it's the case.
It's really positive. It's always better to win games, to feel that our players and the squad are improving massively. The connection we have every day is really positive. I enjoy working with them, even after defeat. It was the case twice this season. They never tried to deny their responsibilities. They accepted their mistakes and tried to work on it. So far, it's really positive."
The togetherness was embodied by Luke O'Nien and Dan Neil, both waiting patiently for Premier League opportunities, racing down the touchline to celebrate Chemsdine Talbi's late winner at Stamford Bridge last weekend.
"Yes, absolutely," Le Bris said.
"It was a really natural reaction, it was very positive. You can be frustrated, which is absolutely fair, but you can still take enjoyment from your team-mates winning. It's very positive."
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Sunderland team news ahead of Everton clash tonight
Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Omar Alderete and Simon Adingra are in conention to return to the matchday squad when Sunderland face Everton this weekend.
Alderete was absent for the first time this season at Stamford Bridge having suffered a concussion in the 2-0 win over Wolves a week previous, while Adingra was left out as a precaution having experienced some muscle tightness in the build up to the game.
Both have trained in the build up to Everton’s visit, however, and should retake their places in the squad.
“He’s getting better, trained normally with the squad this morning, he’s on the way,” Le Bris said of Alderete.
“He is still a doubt for Everton because he is in the concussion protocols, but we hope that he will be out of them tomorrow [on Saturday]. Simon Adingra missed the Chelsea game because he had a small hamstring injury, but it was not serious. He missed one weekend but he is available.”
Le Bris also revealed that Dan Neil has been recovering from a minor concussion suffered in training, but that he is expected to be available to face Everton on Monday night.
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