Sunderland's players celebrate at Wembley (Image: Ian Horrocks)
Sunderland's players celebrate at Wembley (Image: Ian Horrocks)
REGIS LE BRIS has hailed the ‘improved consistency’ of his Sunderland side as the key factor behind their promotion to the Premier League.
In the space of 12 months, Le Bris has transformed a team that had finished 16th in the Championship last season into a side that will be playing in the top-flight next term.
The transformation has been truly remarkable, but the Black Cats boss insists he was always confident he was inheriting a side capable of mixing it with the very best in the second tier.
The problem was that for every good performance, there was an under-par display just around the corner. Addressing that, and improving the reliability of his side was he key priority as he set about the task of turning things around following his appointment last June.
“It was impossible to predict the outcome of the season, but we spoke about the feelings I had about this team last season,” said Le Bris. “They played fantastic football sometimes. For example, they beat Southampton 5-0, so it was clear that it was possible to play very good football with this team.
“But at the same time, they were so inconsistent. They had ups, but also many downs. So, my job, and I think this is the main job of a coaching staff and manager, was to give the methodology to the team that could bring a much better level of consistency.
“It worked well. We needed talented players, but we also needed a strong connection between them. They deserved this. They worked so well together, and at the end, this game was a good example of the season.”
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Plenty of Sunderland players have been showered with individual plaudits this season. From Anthony Patterson in goal, through the likes of Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg in midfield and on to Eliezer Mayenda and Wilson Isidor, the Black Cats’ players have embellished their own individual reputations.
Ultimately, though, it was the strength of the collective that proved key, as highlighted by the impact made by Sunderland’s second-half substitutes during yesterday’s play-off final win at Wembley.
“We need to remember that the connection between a group of players is often more important than the talent of one player,” said Le Bris. “For me, as a manager, sometimes in football we forget that it is a collective sport.
“It is a collective effort. We tend to focus on one person who made the difference, but that is never the main point. The main point is always the way we work together.
“This squad was very impressive this season in terms of their connection. Even when it was tough, they stayed connected. They wanted to learn from their mistakes. They always gave me a very strong feeling this season.”