Le Bris confident he has backing as Sunderland’s struggles continue

Regis Le Bris admits Sunderland are in a relegation battle this season after their poor Premier League form continued with a 3-1 defeat to Coventry.

The Sunderland boss insists the club were prepared for a difficult second season in the top flight. particularly with the extra demands of qualifying for Europe, and says his players must retain the "underdog mentality" that helped them establish themselves in the Premier League.

Asked directly whether Sunderland are now fighting relegation, Le Bris said: "It's obvious.

"If you look at the table, there's no doubt about the situation. I think Sunderland in the Premier League for the second year has to have this mindset, the underdog mentality.

"I repeat, the situation is not unexpected. We started the season with this understanding of how demanding it could be, and it's the case. So we are ready for that.

"Are we happy? I repeat, no. Are we worried? Always, because it's football. Elite football is like that. You can't relax at all.

"Are we combative? Yes. Are we resilient? Yes. Are we together? Yes. And we'll bounce back quickly."

Le Bris believes Sunderland's busy schedule has contributed to their struggles and pointed to the difficulties clubs can experience when competing in Europe for the first time.

"We are growing fast. We are exposed this season with this busy schedule and it's really demanding," he said.

"Is it unexpected? I don't think so. Many clubs last year experienced exactly the same situation.

"First year in Europe, you know that we'll have on average 10 less points. It's our reality.

"Does it mean that we are happy? Absolutely not. We have to get better because it's hard to play this first half. It's hard to not be able to play our football with confidence, with the ability to be ourselves."

Le Bris also dismissed concerns over whether he retains the backing of the club and his players.

"We experienced so many difficult situations to achieve what we achieved, and we won't give up just because it's a bit tough at the beginning of the season.

"So, 100% I'm combative. I feel the unity of the club.

"I don't feel that the players are trying to escape their own responsibilities, which is the most important, I think.

"For the staff, it's the case. For me, it's the case. So, I keep working hard."