Le Bris on taking chances and getting back on top

- Published
Sunderland host Stoke City in the Championship on Saturday (kick-off 12:30 GMT).
Here's a recap of the main lines from Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris' pre-match news conference:
Defender Dennis Cirkin is available after being ruled out of the past three matches due to a wrist injury.
On Chris Mepham's suspension: "The back four is a big strength for us because we have many options, even with suspensions or injuries. It's the rules, and we have to deal with the rules."
On converting their chances: "It's the only focus we should have at the minute - how we can create more chances and how we can convert the chances we have to score. I think we have the potential, and I think we have the players in the team to do it."
He feels that the solution is within the team and not in the transfer window: "We talked a lot about a striker at the beginning of the season. We said if we don't have a striker, we can't score, but so far we've scored 26, so it's possible to score with other players."
He spoke about last week being "emotionally intense" and it being important to recover.
On getting back to the top of the table: "This league is not finished. It's very long, so you can struggle for a short period, which was the case, I think. But the foundations are good, so we have to believe in it."
On Stoke: "We face them three times in one month, so by the end, we will be best friends, I think - we will see with the results. Tough game; a good team with good players."
On the fans and their impact: "They deserve to have positive emotions, and we need them to give back. Sometimes it's like a circle; it can be vicious, or it can be the opposite. So we can create a new positive dynamic with just one good result."
