Regis Le Bris has expressed disappointment with Sunderland’s performance after their shock FA Cup fifth round defeat to Port Vale, calling for immediate improvement from his players.
The Premier League side suffered elimination from the competition at the hands of the League One’s bottom team in their Sunday clash, following their 1-0 defeat at the Vale Park.
It also marked Port Vale’s first win over a top-flight opposition since they stunned Everton in the FA Cup fourth round 30 years ago.
Speaking after the defeat, Le Bris called upon his side to become much better and avoid a repeat of their lacklustre performance.
“Full credit to our opponent first of all. They played with hunger, patience and intensity. And we are not at this level. It was a second ball game, many duels. We didn’t show enough to impose ourselves today”, Le Bris remarked.
“It is what it is. You have to accept it. It’s not easy. It’s sad for our fans, they travelled to support us and we didn’t give this energy to make the difference. This competition is relentless. One game, 90 minutes, anything can happen.”
Ben Waine scored the only goal of the game from a header in the 28th minute, sending Port Vale to their first FA Cup quarterfinal in over 70 years.
The defeat also marked Sunderland’s fourth in their last seven games across all competitions, as they will now turn their attention to a strong finish in the Premier League campaign.
“The lads wanted to do it. But they were not able to do it”, Le Bris continued.
“We needed to manage Granit Xhaka’s load. The Premier League is the hardest objective. We tried to work hard, we prepared hard. If you don’t show the level, you get punished.”
Port Vale have booked their spot in the last eight draw on Monday night, just before the final fifth round clash between West Ham United and Brentford.
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