The Sunderland squad is filled with top talent, but now, the club may have to be wary of another key figure being eyed up by teams in the Premier League.
It has been a fantastic season so far for Sunderland, with the club keeping pace with the top teams in the Championship as we approach the halfway stage of the campaign.
A lot of credit for that must go to the brilliant young players in the Sunderland squad, of course, but Regis Le Bris has to be commended for his work, too.
Over the weekend, Le Bris did something no Sunderland manager has done for 26 years by coming from 2-0 down to win a league game, and that achievement will not have gone unnoticed.
Regis Le Bris of Sunderland participates in the Sky Bet Championship Third Round match between Sunderland and Bristol City at the Stadium Of Light ...
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Regis Le Bris must be on Premier League clubs’ radar now
This weekend, we also saw both Wolves and Southampton part ways with their managers after their struggles continued with devastating defeats to Ipswich Town and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.
With Gary O’Neil and Russell Martin gone, the Premier League strugglers will both be looking for new managers to turn around their fortunes and steer them to safety, and surely it can’t be long before these teams cast glances at Le Bris.
The Frenchman has come into his first job in England and frankly, has gone above and beyond expectations at the Stadium of Light.
After the disappointment of last season’s 16th-place finish, results have improved dramatically under Le Bris, all while playing great football, and incorporating academy talent into the first-team.
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It’s not often you find a manager who can win games consistently, let alone meeting the other criteria. Make no mistake, Le Bris will be a valuable commodity right now, and other clubs will absolutely be keeping note of his progress.
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris joins applause during the Sky Bet Championship match between Swansea City AFC and Sunderland AFC at Swansea.com...
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The only way Sunderland will keep Regis Le Bris long-term is by getting promoted
Still, it is very unlikely Le Bris would be tempted to depart Sunderland so soon in his tenure. He’s signed on for one of the most exciting projects outside the top tier, and he appears to be very happy on Wearside.
The idea of jumping ship six months in to join either Wolves or Southampton, two teams who look destined for the drop, would be a foolish move by Le Bris, and very out of character for the pragmatic manager.
However, there is no doubt that Le Bris will end up in the Premier League one day, and he’s already proving that he is more than capable of working at a higher level than the Championship.
You only have to look at Sunderland’s unbeaten home record this season, and the fact Le Bris has now got such a young squad grinding out results from difficult losing positions, to see that he’s transformed this Black Cats team.
We expect Le Bris to stick around for a while, but eventually, those knocks at the door will get louder and more prominent, and they’ll be hard to ignore. Hopefully, Sunderland can just get to the Premier League before Le Bris’ head is turned.
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