While Sunderland’s underlying principles remain the same, the first summer of the Regis Le Bris era proved that the Black Cats are not completely averse to making the odd exception.
Under Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and on the watch of sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, Sunderland have centred their rebuild around a foundation of young, developing players.
Players boasting considerable potential and re-sale value.
But as the youngest squad in the Championship lost their confidence and stumbled to a bottom-half finish in 2023/24, the Black Cats at least learned from the failures of last season.
This summer was, again, one in which Sunderland scoured the market for untapped potential. Their two most expensive acquisitions – silky Serbian Milan Aleksic and the currently-injured Ahmed Abdullahi – are aged just 19 and 20 respectively.
But, in what felt like a break from recent tradition, the Wearsiders looked to balance that exuberance with some much-needed experience.
Don Goodman applauds Sunderland’s summer transfer activity
In came 26-year-old Chris Mepham and 29-year-old Alan Browne.
Two second-tier stalwarts who, for Brentford, Bournemouth and Preston North End respectively, arrived with a combined 435 Championship appearances between them.
Back-up goalkeeper Simon Moore impressed in Anthony Patterson’s absence as Sunderland beat Oxford United 2-0 on Saturday, meanwhile. The 34-year-old adding further second-tier nous off the pitch and, occasionally, on it too.
And former Sunderland striker Don Goodman feels Regis Le Bris’ league leaders are benefitting from having increased the average age of a previously baby-faced roster.
“This is an incredible start to the season,” Goodman tells Sky Sports, Sunderland moving five points clear of Burnley and Leeds United while accumulating 28 points out of a possible 36. “We were all worried. [We wondered] what should we expect from Sunderland?
“They got off to a flyer and they haven’t looked back since. You could never possibly see it coming.
“Credit to the hierarchy. They have brought in Alan Browne, Chris Mepham. Even Wilson Isidor, at 24, is older than the players they brought in before. Simon Moore is a great character.
“I think the penny has possibly dropped, that they needed a bit of experience in the building. When the going gets tough, they have got lads who have been there before and that will be a help to Sunderland.”
Regis Le Bris plays down concerns over Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor
The aforementioned Isidor hit four goals in six Championship starts with a ‘wonderful’ finish against Oxford on Saturday.
Following a clipped Dan Neil pass, the Zenit St Petersburg rattled in a volley even the great Kevin Phillips would have been proud of.
After Sunderland spent much of last term relying on a teenage Jobe Bellingham in a somewhat unfamiliar number nine role, a relative elder statement in Isidor is belatedly filling a void that has been present in the Black Cats attack ever since Ross Stewart left for Southampton in 2023.
Le Bris played down concerns over a potential Isidor injury on Saturday, the striker limping off towards the end. He also expects goalkeeper Patterson to return sooner rather than later with veteran Moore keeping a clean sheet in his absence.
“We don’t know yet [what the situation is with Patterson]. It shouldn’t be too serious,” Le Bris said during his post-match press conference. “But, as you saw, Simon did well.”
The Black Cats have three games to come before the November international break. They travel to Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End before Coventry City arrive at the Stadium of Light.