Is Jobe Bellingham coming back to Sunderland?
Former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick praised Sunderland’s transformation under Régis Le Bris on Match of the Day
Michael Carrick has heaped praise on Régis Le Bris and Sunderland following their stunning 2–1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – a result that lifted the Black Cats to second place in the Premier League table with 17 points from their opening nine games.
Speaking on Match of the Day, the former Middlesbrough boss admitted he had been “hugely impressed” by Sunderland’s seamless transition to top-flight football under Le Bris. He said: “I mean, I’m hugely impressed. I think there’s so many positives to look at,” Carrick said. “I think the biggest one for me is the way they came into the league, you know, by the play-offs – and what kind of puts you back three or four weeks.
“So, they probably got into that little spell with two plans, do we go up, do we not? But still, it puts you behind. And today they had four players who were from the team last season, so it’s a big change from a coaching perspective to put that and implement that so quickly. And to accumulate the points they’ve got, it’s an unbelievable achievement to be sat here with so many points.”
Le Bris’ side have collected 17 points from a possible 27 – a total that saw them rise to second place in the table before Sunday’s fixtures. It has been an extraordinary start to life back in the Premier League for Sunderland, whose mix of energy, tactical flexibility and unrelenting team spirit has earned widespread praise.
Michael Carrick’s tenure at Middlesbrough
Carrick was appointed head coach of Middlesbrough on 24 October 2022, with the club sitting 21st in the Championship table and just one point above the relegation zone. He lost his first game in charge 2–1 away to Preston North End but quickly turned results around, winning 16 of his next 23 matches as Middlesbrough climbed into the play-off places.
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In December 2022, Carrick was nominated for the EFL Championship Manager of the Month award for November, and he later won the award for March 2023 after earning ten points from four games and scoring thirteen goals. Carrick guided Middlesbrough to a fourth-place finish in the 2022–23 season, though the club were beaten by Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals.
In his second season, he led Middlesbrough to the EFL Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2004. They won the first leg 1–0 against Chelsea but lost 6–1 in the return leg at Stamford Bridge. Middlesbrough finished the 2023–24 Championship campaign in eighth place. Carrick signed a new three-year contract on 3 June 2024 but was sacked on 4 June 2025 after finishing tenth in the 2024–25 season.
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