Football League World
·19 November 2024
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·19 November 2024
We asked our Sunderland fan pundit what his thoughts were on Regis Le Bris' style of football.
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Sunderland have made an excellent start to the season under new manager Regis Le Bris, with the Black Cats currently sitting top of the Championship table.
It took a while for Sunderland to find the right man in their search for Mike Dodds' replacement over the summer, but it was worth the wait, as Regis Le Bris has taken to English football like a duck to water during his first few months as head coach at the Stadium of Light.
The Frenchman's only previous managerial role was at Lorient, where his tenure came to an end after he was unable to preserve the club's top-flight status last season, so it was understandable that some Sunderland fans were not completely sold on their new boss initially.
There was further concern among the Black Cats' supporters after Jack Clarke was sold to Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town at the end of August, with the winger having scored 15 goals in the Championship last season.
However, following the addition of players such as Wilson Isidor and Alan Browne, Sunderland have made an excellent start to their 2024/25 Championship campaign, and it seems as though Le Bris may have found a winning formula that could potentially see the Black Cats make their long-awaited return to the Premier League.
We asked our Sunderland fan pundit, Jack Austwicke, whether he was a fan of Le Bris' style of football, and he made it clear that the new manager has impressed him so far.
"In truth, I love what Regis Le Bris has brought into Sunderland, his philosophy," said Jack.
"You know, it's high-press, a lot of energy, and we are quite comfortable without the ball because we know we can turn it over and then once we gain possession, we are quite good at keeping it.
"We are creating a lot of chances, there is a lot going on, there are so many interchanges, there is a lot of patterns, especially down the left-hand side with the likes of Cirkin and Mundle.
"You can see that there is a lot of patterns that happen, the same things are happening every game, and for the most part it works, so I've got no complaints.
"From what we've had, especially last season, this is really good, so happy days."
Sunderland have been one of the most entertaining teams in the Championship so far this season, a claim that is backed up by the fact that they are the highest scoring side in the division with 25 goals from their 15 league games so far.
The Black Cats are also still unbeaten at home in the Championship, which is usually a good indicator of a side that has the potential to be among the promotion contenders at the end of the season.
Their next three games after the international break will provide a real test, with a trip to London to face an in-form Millwall side, a Tuesday night game against West Bromwich Albion at home, and a visit to Bramall Lane against fellow high-fliers Sheffield United.
If Sunderland can produce more good performances in those fixtures, they will be able to carry real confidence going forward, and it would be a further indication that Le Bris' style of football could lead to the Black Cats maintaining a serious promotion push during the remainder of the season.