Régis Le Bris reacts to Sunderland defeat and drops Trai Hume appeal hint after Bristol City red
Bristol City came from behind to beat ten-man Sunderland at Ashton Gate
Régis Le Bris has hinted that Sunderland will not appeal Trai Hume's red card against Bristol City.
Le Bris said he thought the decision just minutes into the game was harsh but as he manages the squad ahead of the play-offs next month, it may well be that Sunderland just choose to rest Hume when Blackburn Rovers visit the Stadium of Light on Monday afternoon.
Sunderland did actually take the lead thanks to Eliezer Mayenda's brilliant solo goal, but Bristol City scored twice in the second half to secure all three points.
"It changed the dynamic of the game," Le Bris said.
"With 10 men against 11 for 85 minutes, it was long. I think the decision was a bit harsh. We started well and probably after that for 20, 25 minutes the game was balanced. We scored a positive goal and after that we defended well. In this context, when there are many crosses and shots, you can make a mistake and the opponent can have a very good shot. The equaliser was positive for them and their energy.
"I don't know if we'll appeal. For us, we just want to manage the different games properly and manage the squad to have the best energy at the end of the season. The play-offs is most important so I don't know if it will be necessary."
Régis Le Bris explains what pleased him despite Bristol City defeat
Le Bris said the team were disappointed to lose but felt there were positives to take from the defensive application his team showed and said it could yet prove to be a valuable learning experience for the team.
"It was a really positive to live this experience," Le Bris said.
"We could face this challenge in the play-offs and even with 10 men for the whole game it finished 2-1 and we'd have another game at home. If this challenge happens again we'll have this as a reference. I hope it won't be the case but you never know.
"We've shown before that after defeats we react well so I'm really confident about the resources of the squad and the way we are managing the squad right now. It's really important for the future. We might not have the best starting XI now but we want the best 16, 17 or 18 ready for the play-offs."
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