SUNDERLAND might have appointed a new senior backroom figure this week, but Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor will continue to play influential roles as part of the club's senior coaching team.

Pedro Ribeiro was confirmed as Sunderland's new assistant head coach earlier this week, with the Portuguese having previously held a similar role at a number of clubs including Porto, Olympiacos and Fenerbahce.

The 38-year-old will play an influential role working under head coach Regis Le Bris, but his arrival is aimed at complementing the previous coaching team rather than usurping them.

Dodds, who stepped in as caretaker boss for much of the second half of last season, will hold the same assistant head coach position as Ribeiro, while Proctor, who is a former Sunderland player, will work as a first-team coach.

Unlike Le Bris and Ribeiro, the pair boast extensive experience of working in the Championship, and their input is expected to be crucial as the season unfolds.

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“The staff that have been here from last season are working very hard and are very important,” said Le Bris. “They are heavily involved in every element of the way we are working and preparing for every game.

“They have a big role to play in the training sessions, the game plans and so on. Their experiences from last season are very useful, as well as the experiences they have from before that as well.

“They can pass things on to me, the players and the team. That is important for the whole project. Everyone is involved and can bring his own experience to help in terms of what we are trying to do as a whole.”

The international break affords the new-look coaching team an opportunity to bed in, with Le Bris hoping to fine-tune a couple of tactical elements that have been troubling him in the early weeks of the season.

With Sunderland sitting at the top of the table, the Frenchman fully expects future opponents to be formulating plans aimed at thwarting the Black Cats. However, while he will be analysing future opposition, with Sunderland due to return to action at Hull City on October 20 before hosting Sheffield United three days later, Le Bris’ main focus in the next week or so will be on developing his own side’s strengths.

“The opposition are always very creative,” he said. “The more you have video footage to understand the opponent, the more you can find options. Then, the challenge is to implement those options into your game.

“It’s not easy to deal with that, but then a part of your analysis is to find the weaknesses of your opponent. That is important, but then you also have to grow your own strengths as well. For us, our main focus is on our strength and trying to find some different elements where we can improve. Our strength is the best way to perform.”