Le Bris' perspective on Sunderland wingers and the progress of his side

Régis Le Bris has defended the output of Sunderland's wide players and says their defensive work is key to the club's superb start to the campaign.

- by Phil Smith

While Sunderland's outstanding start to the campaign has been built on the back of an excellent structure out of possession, they have not always sparkled going forward and the contribution of the team's wingers came in for some criticism and debate in the aftermath of the goalless draw with Brighton.

Asked about Sunderland's exceptional defensive record, Le Bris praised the individuals in his defensive unit, but stressed the importance of his forward players in that process.

Le Bris admits that their defensive work out of possession has probably at times limited their attacking output.

"I think it starts with the quality of our players, to be fair," Le Bris said.

"If you think that every phase is important for the outcome of a game, probably the confidence can be built through this defensive shape.

"I repeat, our forwards, our wingers are really important in this part of the game, even if they can often waste a bit of energy and be maybe less efficient offensively, and they are doing really well so far.

"Obviously, you need strong centre-backs, a good goalkeeper and so on, but it's a collective effort.