IT'S still early days but Jack Clarke has seen and heard enough to believe he'll "thrive" under Regis Le Bris at Sunderland.

There are, of course, question marks over Clarke's future amid ongoing transfer interest and speculation but if the winger does stay on Wearside this summer, he thinks he'll be a good fit for the Black Cats' new French boss.

Clarke admits the players are still getting to grips with Le Bris' system and demands but says Sunderland will play with "intensity" this coming season and thinks the Black Cats will get better as the summer goes on. The former Leeds and Tottenham winger is also "sure" more new signings will arrive on Wearside in the coming weeks.

Sunderland kick-started their summer campaign with a 5-0 win at South Shields on Saturday, which was followed by a 2-1 defeat at Gateshead, where Clarke featured and scored his side's goal from the penalty spot.

READ MORE:

It was a first run-out after two weeks on the training pitches, with Le Bris having spent the last fortnight drilling his tactics and preferences. But Clarke says real clarity will only come with time.

"He wants a lot more intensity from us," said Clarke.

"Last season we were caught out with the manager changes and the injuries in certain positions so we couldn't give the best possible version of what the manager thinks a Sunderland team should look like and definitely what the club and ownership think a Sunderland team should look like.

"Under Regis, especially in the first two weeks, he's been trying to implement these things. It didn't quite work for us (at Gateshead) but I'm sure by the start of the season we'll have a clearer vision of what he wants and we'll be playing that way.

"He's big on us trying to work it into certain areas of the pitch and if it's not working in certain areas switching it quickly, something we didn't do well enough (at Gateshead).

"We're working on it every single day and hopefully by the time the next batch of games comes along and definitely by the season starting we'll have a better understanding of what he wants and be able to showcase a better version of ourselves.

"It's been good so far. We’re obviously trying to learn on the pitch every single day and learn what he wants.

"There are a lot of players who have been out on loan and people that are coming back from injuries and stuff, so it’s been difficult and we definitely need this period to reflect on where we went wrong last season, to improve before we go into the new season."

While Simon Moore and Alan Browne have been added to Sunderland's ranks this summer, there currently remains the same group of core players as last year.

Clarke said: "It’s obviously nice to have an understanding with the people you are going to be playing with. We have added new players and I’m sure the club will be wanting to add more players.

"It boils down to what the manager wants really, we can only play as well as we can when we’ve got clarity from the manager and I think over the last few years, especially with the changes in managers wanting different things and stuff, hopefully under Regis with a full pre-season we’ll have complete clarity going into the new year.

"I think it (the system) should help me thrive but it should help the whole team thrive once we’ve got complete clarity and understanding of what he wants, when he wants it and who is doing what. Obviously it’s been difficult so far and didn’t come off for us today. Hopefully once we’ve got that clarity the whole club can be thriving."