Sunderland have enjoyed a successful return to the Premier League, but the 4-0 thrashing by the hand of relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Friday evening was inexcusable.
Recently, there has been chatter pertaining to Regis Le Bris and the stability of the Frenchman's position at the helm. It seems ridiculous to question Le Bris' performance after such incredible success over the past year, but the underlying metrics do paint a concerning picture.
Throughout the season, Sunderland have lacked out-and-out creativity, instead relying on their discipline and organisation and togetherness to succeed.
Lowest Premier League xG Totals (25/26)
Club
(16) Nott'm Forest
(17) Tottenham
(18) Sunderland
(19) Burnley
(20) Wolves
Moreover, they have been porous at the back since the turn of the calendar year, so questions are going to be raised when le Bris sits down for the end-of-season review.
However, Sunderland have still come a long way, with Robin Roefs, for the most part, the bedrock of this high-flying project.
Why Sunderland have hit the jackpot on Roefs
Last summer, Sunderland made sweeping changes in the transfer market. It's a rare thing for a newly-promoted side to recruit with such accuracy and intensity, but it paid off, and Roefs is a shining example of why they showed such ambition.
He arrived from Dutch club NEC Nijmegen for an undisclosed figure last season, and he has since established himself as one of the signings of the summer. Roefs is still only 23, with many prime years lying ahead of him.
The 6 foot 3 shot-stopper's aggressive style suggests that top clubs will raid the Stadium of Light in the future, and indeed, Roefs has already received interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur this season. The Black Cats have quoted their divisional rivals at £50m.
robin-roefs-sunderland
However, Roefs isn't the only defensive star who has been riding the crest of a wave. Fortunes might have dimmed in recent weeks, but there's one talent who is actually emerging as the club's new version of Jordan Pickford.
Le Bris has found Sunderland's new Jordan Pickford
Pickford might not have played much of his career with Sunderland, but he remains a boyhood fan of the club, having left them for Everton in a £30m deal back in 2017.
The Three Lions goalkeeper is one of the best in the business, and though Sunderland haven't enjoyed his services for a long time, they can ensure that lightning doesn't strike twice by keeping Dan Ballard on the books as the England-born centre-back continues to go from strength to strength.
Ballard is not a Mackem by birth, arriving from Arsenal in 2022. The Northern Ireland international has thrived as an adopted son, though, crucial in rising to the Premier League.
dan-ballard-sunderland-championship
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard.
Ballard, 26, is now one of the most monstrous defenders in the division, and he is surely going to take the captaincy from Granit Xhaka when the Swiss international winds down.
For playing such a crucial part in Sunderland's ascension, Ballard is considered a 'modern-day great' by the fans. That reputation will only develop over the next few years, becoming for the club something that Pickford was never able to do as he headed off for pastures new.
The goalkeeper would surely have donned the armband, has he stayed. Ballard, however, has resisted supposed interest to extend his stay at the club for the long run. He might not have been born in Sunderland, but he is going to leave as a legend.
Whether Ballard commits the duration of his prime years to the Sunderland cause remains to be seen. Whether Le Bris will be in charge for that duration is also up for question.
However, Ballard is the real deal, a "diamond" of a defender, as has been noted by his former boss, Tony Mowbray. If the Wearsiders let him leave, they will come to rue it in a similar way that they watch enviously as Pickford thrives on Merseyside.
sunderland-premier-league-regis-le-bris Related
[Sunderland could hire Le Bris upgrade who Pep thinks is "one of the best"](https://www.footballfancast.com/sunderland-could-hire-le-bris-upgrade-thomas-frank/ "Sunderland could hire Le Bris upgrade who Pep thinks is "one of the best"")
Sunderland could hire an upgrade on Regis Le Bris by making a move for this head coach.