Regis Le Bris said Sunderland must show more consistency as they balance domestic and European competitions before hosting Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday. Sunderland are ninth in the league phase of the Europa League after an unbeaten start.
Demand of four competitions
Le Bris said: "I would describe it as growing pains."
Le Bris said: "Is it unexpected? I would say no. We are experiencing probably the most demanding challenge Sunderland has faced in its history. Four comps. We earned it last season, and we are pleased to be in this position, but playing every three days is a lot more demanding than one a week."
League and cup position
Sunderland's second season in the Premier League has started poorly, with the team last in the table with 5 points from 9 games. They have also reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, where they will face Crystal Palace.
A new group seeking repeat levels
Le Bris said: "We’re a new group. One year together, when you don’t set the standards like against Coventry, you can’t win. I think we are still competitive, but repeating performances is a new challenge."
Setups evolving between games
Le Bris said: "It’s demanding. It’s really positive to experience this situation, because until you face it, you don’t know how you have to evolve, so it’s new for me as well. When we prepare for game, after game, after game, you can miss the opportunity to review, so we are evolving in our setups, which is really positive."
