'I won't blame him' – Régis Le Bris defends Sunderland player after Bournemouth defeat
Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris has assessed Timur Tutierov's performance after handing the Ukrainian youngster his first Premier League start against Bournemouth
Régis Le Bris has praised Timur Tutierov's work rate and refused to criticise the Sunderland youngster following his first Premier League start in Sunday's 2-0 defeat against Bournemouth.
The Ukrainian was handed his second senior Sunderland start just three days after making his full debut against Torreense in the Europa League, with injuries to Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor leaving Le Bris short of attacking options.
Tutierov had impressed during Sunderland's historic European victory in Portugal, seeing a first-half goal controversially disallowed and causing problems with his movement and pressing. However, the 21-year-old faced a considerably more difficult assignment at the Vitality Stadium, where Sunderland fell behind after just five minutes before Kevin Danso's dismissal in the 17th minute left the visitors playing with ten men.
The red card significantly restricted Sunderland's attacking opportunities, with Tutierov often isolated against Bournemouth's defence as Le Bris' side struggled to create chances. Asked whether he was disappointed Sunderland had not offered more going forward despite their numerical disadvantage, Le Bris defended the youngster.
"Absolutely, we played with 10 men for more than 75 minutes, and with a really young striker, I won't blame him," the Sunderland head coach said. "I think he worked really hard, but football is like this, you have to make the most with what you have, and this afternoon we were not good enough."
Le Bris also dismissed suggestions that Sunderland's demanding schedule could excuse their recent performances, insisting his players must adapt to the challenge of competing domestically and in Europe.
Join the Echo’s WhatsApp SAFC Channel for the latest news, team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join.
"I think we still have many young players, so they can repeat and play again, and this is the level we want to play, so fatigue for me is not an excuse," he explained. "You just have to get used to repeat performances, three days, three days, three days; obviously we manage the squad to get fit for both fixtures." Sunderland now face Lech Poznań in the Europa League on Thursday before hosting Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, with the fitness of Brobbey and Isidor likely to have a significant influence on Le Bris' attacking selections.
The Echo’s Europa League coverage is sponsored by Amari Plastics. Covering all of North East England and Cumbria, Amari Plastics launched in 1975 and has built a reputation as the region's leading plastic distributor. During this time, we’ve established strong working relationships with businesses in three main market sectors: sign, display & large format printing, building & construction and industrial & engineering.