REGIS LE BRIS won’t yet target a promotion push let alone contemplate Sunderland going up this season despite seeing his side hit the top of the table.

The measured Frenchman was delighted the Black Cats maintained their 100 per cent record at the Stadium of Light with a comfortable 2-0 win over Derby.

But rather than resort to soundbites and predictions, Le Bris sticks to his own managerial methods of sharp analysis and detailed planning of the journey that lies ahead.

And even in victory, the former Lorient head coach’s instinct is to offer constructive criticism.

“We could have had more control of the game, especially in possession,” he said after Jobe Bellingham and Wilson Isidor made it six wins out of eight so far this term. “In this kind of game, it is so important to score the first goal.

“We scored again quickly after half-time and then the game became chaotic because they wanted to unbalance us with direct play and they were very strong in the duels. But we kept our discipline and that shape is our foundation.”

Added Le Bris: “I would like us to be more dominant in possession because we have the quality to do that. So that is something we will work at.

READ MORE:

“It is a good sign that we can win and not be at our best. And it is always tough doing that straight after a defeat. That shows the mentality of the group is good.

“We are still in a process and learning from each experience, good and bad. It is about trusting the model and the process. We are still in that process.”

While Le Bris is reluctant to look too far ahead, he suggests that Sunderland will have a better idea of their promotion credentials next month.

“I think we will have a better foundation after ten, 12 or 15 games,” he said. “The football is still unpredictable so we will just focus on our game, our performance and our improvements.

“We know we will have good days but as we have already seen, you can win one game and then lose the next.”

The Black Cats entertain Leeds, one of the promotion favourites on Friday night and that should provide an accurate barometer of progress.

A fifth successive victory on Wearside won’t have Le Bris shouting from the rooftops but for many fans, such a result would provide concrete evidence that Sunderland can maintain their fine start.

The Black Cats could be unchanged for the third game in a row with skipper Dan Neil banishing any doubts about his importance to the side with his best performance of the season against the Rams.