Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris spoke to the media after the Black Cats fell to defeat in the second round of the EFL Cup against League One side Huddersfield.
Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine fired the Terriers in front just seven minutes into proceedings as Lee Grant's side led for the majority of the match. Sunderland would strike level in the 84th minute through Marc Guiu, also on loan from Chelsea, as the Spaniard grabbed his first goal of the season.
A missed penalty from Milan Aleksic was enough to condemn Sunderland to a second-round elimination in this tournament in a match that Regis Le Bris stated that he was disappointed with.
"We got many minutes for more Players" - Le Bris reviews his side's performance against Huddersfield
Speaking to the media after the game, Le Bris could not hide his disappointment at his side's early exit from the competition, but also weighed in on the positives of the night, in which there certainly were for the Black Cats:
"A bit disappointed because we always want to win. The main purpose of the evening was to win and we failed. It's not the only lesson. I think we struggled in the first-half but we needed to test different options."
"On the pitch we had many new players so we had to experience things in real conditions. That was the case this evening. One option, if it doesn't work, try another option. In the second-half it was much better. I think it's positive for the future, especially for Saturday."
Sunderland were clearly much better in the second half, looking much more like themselves. This improvement could be partly due to the fact that Le Bris opted to change formations, switching to a 4-3-3 for the second 45 minutes:
"Probably the formation change was important, because we tested two forwards during the first half and it was tough, probably because of the shape and the low block. In the second half, with Wilson on the left, Mark and Pat on the right, we tried the 4-3-3 and it worked well."
The improvement was particularly apparent in more attacking areas of the pitch, creating three big chances, 15 shots (four on target). Whereas in the first half, the hosts could not manage a single shot on goal against the Terriers.
"The energy was positive" - Le Bris talks about team selection
The team that emerged out of the tunnel to play in this tie was much different from the one that began in the loss to Burnley at the weekend, as Regis Le Bris did not leave a single position unchanged. The Frenchman handed first starts to some players, the most notable one being goalscorer Marc Guiu.
The lack of continuity in the team may have affected the Black Cats against Huddersfield, but Le Bris did not take anything away from his opponents, crediting their hunger for the victory:
“I think the energy was positive. Sometimes you can struggle, but you feel that they try. Obviously, the starting line-up was new, so you can't just decide and it works perfectly from scratch.
"It doesn't work like that. I think Huddersfield played with desire and intensity. They were well-organised and scored a fantastic goal. It was a good context for the development of the squad.
"At the end, if you try and work well but the output is negative, it doesn't mean you won't be selected for the next game.”