Régis Le Bris delivers verdict on Sunderland’s late draw against Leeds United and explains what he got wrong

Sunderland secured a late point against Leeds United on Friday night.

Régis Le Bris believes Sunderland deserved their late stroke of luck at the Stadium of Light on Friday night.

The Black Cats were seconds away from losing versus Leeds United when Ilan Meslier mishandled Alan Browne’s late free kick attempt. Nonetheless, Le Bris believed his squad deserved their luck after competing effectively against a quality team and recovering from what he saw as a tactical error on his part in the early rounds.

“I’m disappointed for him, I like him as a boy and a custodian,” Le Bris told the press.

“Everyone on the pitch can make a mistake, but the custodian and striker have the most serious implications. This occurred today. We are pleased with the end outcome because it was a difficult game against a strong team. We started strongly, and in possession, we were able to create numerous imbalances and scoring opportunities for Leeds. Then, I believe we wrestled for possession. We elected to play in a 5-4-1 formation, which I believe was the wrong decision because it was tough to defend our box and apply pressure. Finally, we guarded in the last third, and if you make a mistake here, the opponent might rapidly create an opportunity. After the first goal, we switched to a 4-4-2 formation, which I believe worked better because we dominated possession the most of the game. We didn’t create many chances, and I believe weariness was a role in the second half of the game. We wanted to play, but it was difficult to come up with a solution.

“With the second ball, they were able to generate. In the end, I believe we earned the draw because, while the goal was fortunate, the manner we were able to adjust our structure was a positive point for us.”