Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been hailed for his management of one under pressure player.
Sunderland face a trip to Sheffield Wednesday this Friday, with Regis Le Bris’ side hoping to put an end to their recent rot.
The Black Cats have lost successive games against Leeds United and Hull City, with Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson being hounded for his mistakes in the defeats, which led to one EFL expert suggesting that Patrick Roberts was also at fault.
Patterson has been called to be dropped by fans, whilst former Sunderland man Danny Collins believes Simon Moore should start over the current Black Cats No1.
However, the Sunderland boss has had his say on the goalkeeper, as Le Bris praised Patterson, despite his recent errors.
This man-management by Le Bris has been hailed by many, with journalist Michael Graham making his feelings clear about the French boss’ support of his goalkeeper.
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Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris praised for ‘brilliant’ support of Anthony Patterson
Many have wondered whether Sunderland boss Le Bris may look to bring in summer signing Moore in place of Patterson amid his recent poor form.
Moore has played on four occasions in the 2024/25 Championship season so far for Sunderland, notching three clean sheets, before being replaced once again by Patterson.
However, it looks set that Patterson will start in-between the sticks in the upcoming game against Sheffield Wednesday after the Black Cats boss defended him in his pre-match press conference.
Le Bris’ decision to side with Patterson has received praise, including by journalist Michael Graham on X, who has suggested that the French boss has shown an example of ‘brilliant management’ in the way he handled the questions surrounding his goalkeeper.
Anthony Patterson must repay Regis Le Bris trust after recent comments
In this situation, many coaches may be led to throw one of their players under the bus after a run of difficult performances, but Le Bris has decided to take an alternative route.
In his pre-match press conference, he said: “He can make mistakes and he has to learn from these experiences and find the best way to finish the season.
“It’s important to repeat that Anthony has been very consistent. It was the only goal of that game so the consequences were really important. But if you focus on the 34 games we’ve played with him, he’s been really good.”
This rallying cry must be the source of motivation for Patterson in the upcoming games, who will be hoping to prove his doubters wrong with a decent run of performances. Coming up against a Sheffield Wednesday side this evening with just one goal against the current top six in eight games, Sunderland’s shot-stopper has a perfect opportunity to settle into the game and get a clean sheet under his belt.