Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris believes his side showed in their 0-0 draw at QPR that they have the battling qualities needed to sustain a promotion challenge.
The Sky Bet Championship leaders have been dominant so far this season but were not at their best at Loftus Road and had to hold on after Jobe Bellingham was sent off early in the second half.
Frenchman Le Bris said: “We feel we can play better football but to be competitive in this league we have to face many games and a variety of styles of play.
“So we have to master all the phases of the game and I think this was a good exercise for us because it was 10 against 11 for 30 minutes, away, and we did well.
“The players were OK. We have a core in the team who can manage many different situations.
“We weren’t able to play the game we wanted to play and we can have a bit of frustration, you want to play a specific way, but it’s another clean sheet. It’s another layer for the team.”
Bellingham was dismissed in the 58th minute for a crude challenge on Zan Celar.
That galvanised struggling Rangers and Celar fired just wide of the far post before Jimmy Dunne’s header was saved by Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Moore.
“It was a tough away game because this league is very competitive,” Le Bris said.
“In the first half we had some good periods when we dominated the ball and created chances.
“The first part of the second half was better but then we had 10 players against 11. We kept the confidence and there was no panic.”
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes admitted frustration at their inability to capitalise on Bellingham’s sending-off.
“That was the mood in the dressing room,” said Cifuentes. “But, at the same time, I told the guys that in the situation we are it’s very easy to look just at the negatives and my job is to keep balance.
“The performance in the first 60 minutes was hopefully giving us the direction to achieve the three points and then after the red card perhaps it seems easy but I knew that then the game would be totally different.
“You know how it is; sometimes you just find a way to manage (with 10 men) for the final 30 minutes and survive.”
Second-from-bottom Rangers are still without a home win this season.
Already without a number of players, they suffered another setback when key defender Jake Clarke-Salter was ruled out because of a recurring calf problem – and when full-back Harrison Ashby went off injured shortly before half-time.
However, a second successive goalless draw against one of the division’s heavyweights – they held Burnley in their previous match – seems like another step in the right direction.
They defended well and had chances. Slovenia striker Celar, yet to score since his arrival during the summer, should have given them an early lead but shot wide of the target after being set up by Paul Smyth.
Cifuentes said: “I see my team playing with big personality and, despite some setbacks, trying to be strong and focus on what we can control, which is our performances.
“We contained a team like Sunderland to almost no chances. There are a lot of positives and my job is to make sure that we reflect on that.
“No excuses – keep on working until it works. I’m aware we’re not here to draw games, we’re here to win, but the better we play the more chances we’re going to have to win and this performance is a step in the right direction.
“We’re missing the victories, I’m aware of that, but look at the progress and trust in what we are doing.
“We need to do better, but I see progress in the team that hopefully will give us the results we’re chasing.”
