QPR told why Sunderland will be so hard to beat at Loftus Road by Régis Le Bris
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has heralded his side's versatility and consistency ahead of this weekend's trip to London to take on a struggling QPR.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe Black Cats sit top of the Championship table after 12 games, already five points clear of second place Burnley. The North East club are undefeated in five, winning four of those matches, and will arrive in West London as strong favourites.
QPR languish at the opposite end of the table in 23rd, just one point of rock bottom Portsmouth. Marti Cifuentes has steadied the ship with two draws against Coventry City and Burnley following a run of four straight defeats, but pressure continues to grow at Loftus Road.
The Catalan coach is preparing his R's side to take on the league leaders and Sunderland boss Le Bris has hinted at why his side will be such a tough test on Saturday, having cruised to a 2-0 victory against Oxford United at the Stadium of Light last weekend.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdWhy QPR face tough task in Sunderland
In that game, the Black Cats reacted to an Oxford United formation change at half time in impressive manner. Le Bris said, via the Sunderland Echo: “So far, the results have been good and the consistency is the key. It's the way we can adjust. We have a game plan every time, and sometimes it works well. But football is unpredictable, you can have a different scenario [within the game] and you need to adjust some small details to keep the level and control the game.
"For me, from probably the last five, six, seven games, I feel that we are more agile to adjust these little details according to how the game is evolving to keep our level. This is satisfying for me.
“We are not perfect, but I liked for example when they changed their shape at half time and we had two or three minutes to adjust our pressing. We did it. Maybe in the past when there is a change like this we can struggle for longer and you can lose your shape. It wasn't the case in this game, [they had] just one situation. I can feel now that we are more versatile according to how the game is going.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLe Bris was appointed Sunderland manager in June 2024 and won the Championship Manager of the Month accolade in August. He had previously been in charge at Lorient.
Le Bris ‘not surprised’ by Sunderland consistency
The manager, who has never faced QPR, has also revelled in his side's consistency. He explained: "I haven’t been surprised because I watched many of the games from last season.
“For me, it was clear that that team, and those players, were able to play like that. So it is not a surprise, but the main point was the consistency. You can play at that level, but then two games later, you can be playing at a completely different level. If you want to do well in the league, it is impossible if you are doing that. The qualities are here, that is not a problem. But we have to build the consistencies, that is the most important thing.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad"There are different problems we are having to solve, but even though there are different challenges, you have to keep to a certain level. Last season, for example, against Southampton, it was a perfect game. But the team didn’t repeat that performance often. They did that type of performance though. I think we are able to do it, so now it is an issue of culture, maturity and experiences.”
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.