Sunderland are enjoying a well-earned break after winning their opening four games in a row.
The Black Cats sit top of the Championship after claiming maximum points and will be looking to pick up another win as they travel to Plymouth Argyle next weekend.
Regis Le Bris’ start to life in Sunderland has gone better than anyone expected, having endured relegation with Lorient last season.
The Wearside outfit went without a permanent manager for four months before appointing the Frenchman, having already failed to land a number of targets.
Fans were very wary over Le Bris’ appointment after his rollercoaster stint in Ligue 1, but it now looks like the ‘massive gamble’ is paying off.
Le Bris is ‘very similar’ to Sunderland’s first choice targets
Former Sunderland striker Don Goodman has heaped praise on Le Bris and has admitted he looks ‘very encouraging’.
Speaking to Sunderland Nation, Goodman said: “It’s really nice to see Sunderland go for a manager who really fits what they’re doing with youth and really taps into the way they want to build the club.
“I know for a fact that Le Bris wasn’t the first choice, but I also know that his profile was not dissimilar from certainly some of the candidates. Any of the other candidates that may have been slightly ahead of him in the pecking order, the files were very, very similar.
“Hiring managers from abroad can be a massive gamble, but you’ve got to have the courage of your convictions to back your judgment. With Sunderland, the owners and the director of football in the hierarchy, some of the appointments have been brilliant and some of them they’ve got horribly wrong. You can’t disguise it and you can’t describe it any other way. But the early signs under Le Bris are very, very encouraging.”
Sunderland head coach is unfairly judged on Lorient spell
Le Bris was judged for his second season with Lorient, but fans seemed to forget about his first.
The 48-year-old guided the French club from a relegation battle to mid-table and was only really troubled when their best players were solid – with star players Enzo Le Fee and Terem Moffi both leaving.
Le Bris has always been very good at developing young players and that is clearly exactly what Sunderland need, with the likes of Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham feeling an instant impact from their new head coach.
It will be interesting to see how he fares as the season goes on though, and what would happen if the Black Cats were also to lose more key players next summer.
At the moment though, supporters will be confident that won’t happen as they target promotion. But there is still plenty of time to go for things to dramatically change.