Regis Le Bris is doing something at Sunderland Michael Beale and Mike Dodds couldn't
Far be it from me to question a man who played more than 250 matches for Sunderland, but I do take issue with Lee Cattermole and his quotes on “the process” at the club.
Speaking on Sky Sports, the ex-Black Cats skipper was adamant that, “it’s a club process and it’s not head coach Regis Le Bris saying. ‘this is the style of play, this is what I’m bringing’.”
To me, that makes Le Bris sound like a clone of what has gone before and that the improvement in results and performance are nothing to do with him.
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Let’s not forget that ‘the process’ included a dismal end to last season under Mike Dodds when the team were set up negatively and scored a pathetic two goals in their last seven home league games. Those goals came in two of five defeats, one of them 5-1. The two points they gained were in 0-0 draws.
Before that came Michael Beale and nobody enjoyed that. So, I’m more inclined to go with Gus Poyet on agreeing that Le Bris has brought ‘a good brand of football’ to Sunderland.
Le Bris has been a breath of fresh air, brought intelligent thinking, and, to use one of his favourite words, ‘interesting’ tactics. Sunderland don’t try to monopolise possession but when they wrestle the ball from the opposition in a high pressing game they go for the jugular with exciting players allowed to express themselves.
Astute thinker Le Bris is behind the resurgence, commanding respect along the way.
So let’s give the head coach credit for the start Sunderland have made rather than making it out to be something preordained regardless of who was going to be in charge.