BOTD: REGIS LE BRIS

Happy 50th birthday to Sunderland’s football scientist, Regis Le Bris!

Before the appointment of Regis was made, Sunderland fans had to wait an incredible 123 days since the sacking of Michael Beale for their next permanent Head Coach. In the meantime, Mike Dodds had been in the dugout on an interim basis and led us to an underwhelming 16th-placed finish. We interviewed Dodds for ALS 269 and he was very honest about how he felt about that time in charge of the squad.

Admittedly, when he first came in not many of us had even heard of Le Bris! When we researched him we found that he’d initially done well at Lorient before getting relegated in his second season, but it turned out that they’d sold most of their key players and didn’t re-invest. So, to summarise, he seemed to be a decent appointment and a safe pair of hands but nothing to get overly excited about - an understated arrival to match his demeanour. After such a horrendous 2023/24, many would have been happy with a solid mid-table finish.

However, we soon found that he was a proper coach and a great fit for this club. From the day he came in he spoke about respecting the club’s history and the importance of a connection between players and the crowd. When asked about his coaching influences he said: “We will not play like Guardiola or De Zerbi, because we are Sunderland and I am Regis Le Bris”. His first month brought a 100% win record in the Championship, scoring 10 and conceding just once at the season. For that, he was named Manager of the Month for August.

Le Bris’ coaching methods gave the team proper direction - something which was sorely lacking during the Beale/Dodds era. The way he dealt with various squad issues was commendable: Jobe thrived in his natural midfield position and wasn’t shoehorned into a makeshift striker role, Mayenda was trusted to start the season up front, Mundle’s quality meant that we didn’t miss Jack Clarke.

His contacts in the game, particularly with French talent, became a crucial part of recruitment. In the past, certain Head Coaches like Tony Mowbray were simply tasked with coaching the players in front of them. However, RLB worked closely with the likes of Stuart Harvey and Kristjaan Speakman to bring in the right profile of player. Crucially, Wilson Isidor knew Le Bris from French youth level. Then in January, Regis managed to pull off one of the most impressive signings the Championship had ever seen with the loan deal for his former Lorient student, Enzo Le Fee.

We never dropped below fourth in the table for the whole season, such was the consistency and “balance” that Le Bris often discussed. We qualified for the play-offs really early, at the start of April, and then the gaffer was faced with a choice: Keep the momentum ahead of the play-offs and try to ride that wave, or rest key players and prioritise fitness over results?

Of course, Le Bris made the brave decision to pretty much write off the last five games of the regular season. This was controversial at the time, with the fanbase divided. Ahead of the first leg against Coventry, we had the worst form of any team who had ever participated in the play-offs! However, he was proven to be right once again and the ‘Til The End’ mantra had never been truer. From Mayenda and Isidor at Coventry, to Ballard’s famous header, to Tommy Watson’s perfect parting gift… prioritising sharpness meant that when opponents tired, we simply kept going. Til The End.

Following promotion, we were very much the underdogs of the Premier League. RLB oversaw a squad overhaul and had to cultivate the togetherness in the dressing room once again. However, there was no ‘bedding in’ period. When we played West Ham on the opening day, we looked like a team who had been playing together for years. We’re really seeing the blueprint for a perfect Regis Le Bris team this season: well-organised, hard to break down, fast-paced in attack.

He is the most impressive manager Wearside has seen in quite some time. He is humble and grounded, yet ambitious with a winner’s mentality. Granit Xhaka described him as the “new Arsene Wenger” which is high praise indeed. Happy birthday, Regis.