Sunderland beat Newcastle United 2-1 at St. James’ Park on Sunday.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has labelled his side’s late 2-1 win over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park as a “big achievement”, after having now taken six points from the Magpies this season.
The Black Cats came from behind to record a last gasp victory over their bitter rivals, with goals from Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbey overturning an early strike from Anthony Gordon.
The result extends Sunderland’s unbeaten run over the Magpies to 11 Premier League matches, and speaking in a post-match press conference at St. James’ Park, Le Bris was quick to emphasise just how delighted he was with the manner in which his side secured a famous three points.
What did Regis Le Bris say about Sunderland’s late victory over Newcastle United?
Addressing the media, he said: “Big achievement, winning two derbies in the same year, it means a lot for us, it means a lot for the group and the quality we showed. This game was tough, as expected, because we know that Newcastle has this ability to go strong, especially during the first half, to generate momentum.
“The crowd as well, they were intense - we conceded the goal, our mistake, which can happen. The team reacted well, it was important to stay 1-0, to have the ability to realign the team during the half-time. It was okay, and we showed what we wanted to show during the second half.”
He added: “This win means a lot for us, as a team, as a coach, as a staff, for our fans as well. We have two games against Newcastle, and they play at a big level, they played in the Champions League last week, so it means a lot. It's another stage, and we want to get better.
“It's an important one [win], to be fair. Consistency is key. We had a bad run recently, and really quickly the doubt can appear. I think we stayed composed, because we trust the way we are working. Consistency in this league is key, so winning at Elland Road [vs Leeds United in early March] was really important, winning at Newcastle means a lot as well. We are talking about consistency, not just one good game, we have to repeat, even if sometimes you struggle, because the league is so demanding.”
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On what another derby win says about Sunderland’s recent progress, Le Bris continued: “I think we have our own story, our own pathway, and we want to get better with our identity. We are not Newcastle, we are Sunderland with different setups.
“I think last year was an incredible season in the Championship, a long season, like a marathon. It went well and the players got experience, and with the new players in the squad the connection stayed really hard. It wasn't easy to keep this identity, but it's the case. In this season in the Premier League we had ups and downs, but we stayed connected with the identity and the way we wanted to play.”
The Sunderland boss was also quizzed on when he felt Sunday’s contest had started to shift in his side’s favour, to which he responded: “I appreciated the beginning, because we were not surprised by the intensity and the way they played. We had the answers, after that you have to execute, make a mistake, it's possible. I think the beginning of the second half was important, and we got better confidence progressively. And finally we felt that it was possible to help their defence. And when it was the case, I think the confidence got better, that was probably the turning point.”
Reflecting on Newcastle’s opening goal, and how it affected his perception of the match, Le Bris said: “I tried to stay calm, just connected with what happened on the pitch. Because as a manager, as a coaching staff, we can't make crazy decisions. So it's important to read the game... We are always on the edge. But finally it was important just to manage the game properly, and I tried my best.”
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