Régis Le Bris issues verdict on what went wrong for Sunderland at Fulham and sends message to squad

Sunderland suffered a 1-0 defeat at Craven Cottage, courtesy of a late Raul Jimenez strike, marking their third loss of the season at Fulham’s ground.

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris acknowledged that his team failed to execute the basics well enough, leaving them unable to create meaningful chances against a side that had largely controlled the game.

While he praised Fulham’s quality, Le Bris emphasized that Sunderland fell short of the standards they have set at times this season.

“First of all, we faced a good team,” Le Bris said. “They showed their quality a few weeks ago against Arsenal, so we knew they had offensive threats, the ability to create chances, and to dominate possession.

We managed that aspect just okay in the first half. We weren’t proactive enough to change the momentum, but at halftime we tried to adjust. In the early part of the second half, we felt we could turn things around, but it wasn’t enough.”

Sunderland did show improvement early in the second half, but Fulham’s substitutes proved decisive. Emile Smith Rowe impressed, while Samuel Chukwueze provided the assist for Jimenez’s winning goal.

Le Bris reflected on where his side fell short. “The subs gave Fulham extra energy and a different style of play, which helped them stay consistent with their attacking threats.

They have depth on their bench, especially offensively. It’s a reminder of the importance of the basics—winning duels and second balls is essential. If you don’t do that, you can’t impose yourself on the game.”

He continued: “We struggled to create opportunities and to manage situations like their long balls. Our pressing was positive in intention, but we weren’t efficient enough in the duels. We ended up defending around our box too often, especially on second balls.

The basics are crucial in football—if you don’t win at least 50-50 battles, you can’t control the game. This match is another lesson: we have to be at our best, or the opponent will exploit their strengths.”