Le Bris pleased to reconnect Sunderland squad in South Shields win

The latest North East sport headlines, from Daniel Wales.

Transcript

00:00Sunderland head coach Regis Labrice was pleased to reconnect his squad in their first game

00:06of pre-season as the Black Cats defeated local side South Shields by four goals to nil at

00:12Mariners Park.

00:15The question was our sixth day today for the restart of the season.

00:21So for us it was more or less one more training session for the group and we decided to split

00:28the group in two halves and the first half with 11 players and second half with 11 players.

00:35So it was a reconnection with the game and with 11 v 11 in real conditions so it was good.

00:42It's been a busy week at the academy a lot, the first one of pre-season, a lot of new faces,

00:47obviously three coaches, a number of new players as well.

00:50One of those players obviously Habib got his debut, what do you make of his first 45 minutes

00:53on the shirt?

00:54I think it's time to connect with the group because we built I think a strong culture

01:02last season and now it's time to welcome him and to create references about his role on

01:11the grass and the connection he has to build.

01:15And following the victory against South Shields, Sunderland winger Romain Mundal was complimentary

01:20of the Black Cats new midfield signing Habib Diora. It was Diora who set up Mundal's goal

01:25which was Sunderland's second of the game and Mundal said that he is a great player and

01:30will fit well into the side that Sunderland are building for the Premier League.

01:35Yeah it was a good 45 to be back out there, obviously gain fitness and just starting strong,

01:42starting how we mean to go on.

01:43How's the last few weeks been getting back in the building, back with the lads, new additions

01:47as well?

01:48Yeah it's always nice returning from obviously going away and coming back and then seeing

01:52the lads and obviously new faces as well so I think we're all coming together as well,

01:56getting more bonded with the new lads and just yeah I think we're all well.

02:02You and Habib look like you had a bit of a connection out there?

02:05Yeah, no Habib was a very very very very good player so just the more he understands the

02:11way we want to play and stuff like that I'm sure he'll do well at Sunderland.

02:14So let's go.