REGIS REFLECTS

Regis Le Bris' Manager of the Season nomination allowed our gaffer to have a rare moment of reflection where he discussed Sunderland's excellent collective season, his obsession with coaching and how he's always just focused on the next game.

MANAGER OF THE SEASON NOMINEE

“I’m really proud - for me, the club, the staff and the players because it’s a collective achievement. No matter the result at the end, it highlights once again the quality of the group and the season overall. The Premier League is a rollercoaster with highs and lows but at the end of the season I think this kind of recognition is really important for us.”

MOMENT TO REFLECT

“It is always hard because we are already looking at the next game and the next season and so on. Probably I will have one week to appreciate this moment and after that, we’ll go again with new goals, new problems, new opportunities, because that is our life.”

RELENTLESS WORK ETHIC

“Because I like it, and it’s a passion before everything else. For me it is not difficult to talk about football and the project, and Sunderland now, because it is a passion. It’s not really a job - it’s demanding, but it’s a pleasure.”

DEVELOPMENT AS A COACH

“With one more year, I think every year is totally different. You can’t replicate the previous year to be successful in real time. I keep evolving, I keep learning, I keep staying curious which I think is the main point. After that, the evolution of the season, the project, the people around me, are always evolving.”

KEEP IMPROVING

“It’s about culture first of all, I think the collective culture is getting better. We can speak about different layers of detail, and that wasn’t the case at the beginning of the season. The exposure to different problems and big teams helps with that. The evolution of the players as well, many players didn’t play in the Premier League before, and now they have 25, 30, 35 games of experience. It’s a big achievement for them as well. Until you experience it, you don’t know if you will be successful or not, so it is really positive. After that, it is about the future, so we will see.”

KEY FOCUSES

“I would say identity and belief in what we are doing together means being open to the mistakes and the ability to solve problems, to evolve, to progress, to improve our club and our team and myself. It was the mentality during this season. The two key areas are identity and willingness to improve.”

STRONG START WAS KEY

“It is always important to start well, especially with 14 new signings for a newly-promoted side in the Premier League. To get the confidence and belief in what we are doing together, if you start well it is much better and this was the case. After that, the Premier League is so demanding that if you have too many weaknesses the level will absolutely show. We’ve struggled at times, like as expected, but I am really pleased with the progression of the team and the way we went through difficult moments. When it is tough, you see the character and the consistency and the strength of the project. It was really powerful.”

OVERACHIEVERS

“Hard to say. If we speak about the expectations at the start of the season, it was just survival and the odds were really low. So, it is a big achievement. I think that’s the case for Leeds as well. We are proud of this achievement and after that, we never know the real potential of the team until the end of the season. Like I said, I’m really pleased with the dynamic as well. It’s not just a good start, it is something consistent with clear evolution throughout the season.”