Former Sunderland manager Lee Johnson has shared his thoughts on the Black Cats’ start to life under Regis Le Bris.
During the ownership of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland have made great strides, getting out of League One and now finding themselves in 2nd place of the Championship table.
Regis Le Bris is the man in charge at the Stadium of Light. He’s the fifth permanent manager of the Louis-Dreyfus era, though Lee Johnson was the first.
Johnson was already in charge of Sunderland when Louis-Dreyfus’ takeover was confirmed, with the 43-year-old winning 40 of his 78 games in charge and also lifting the EFL Trophy in 2021.
Johnson has since had spells with Hibernian and Fleetwood Town, though both would be short-lived, with the former Bristol City boss now unemployed since his Fleetwood exit in December last year.
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Lee Johnson verdict on Sunderland under Regis Le Bris
Sunderland are earning huge amounts of praise for their start to life under Le Bris, and also for just about everything else.
Kristjaan Speakman is being hailed for his impressive work in the summer transfer window, whilst improvements to the stadium have been praised, along with the club’s new hummel kits.
Speaking on 5 Live Sport’s 72+ podcast, Johnson was asked what he thinks about Sunderland in the Championship this season.
He said: “Delighted in terms of that they’re doing well. I do feel a part of that journey. I’m not staking claim to them being top of the Championship.”
Johnson added: “A fantastic start, which you often see with young squads. I think their challenge will be in the winter months, to be able to sustain that performance level.
“But they look like they’ve got agility. They look like they’ve got an identity and a playing style, which is good, and a lot of those lads have been together since the League One days as well.
“The thing you know about Sunderland, is when you get momentum, it is really, really powerful.”
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Sunderland have momentum under Regis Le Bris
Following that 1-0 win vs Middlesbrough last weekend, Sunderland are now back on track, and it’s as though they never lost that game at Plymouth Argyle.
The wind is back in their sails and they look confident of gaining a win away at Watford this weekend.
So like Johnson says, momentum at such a well-supported club, with such huge expectations, can be really powerful.
But Johnson also makes a good point about the winter months, and the overall longevity of the season being the main hurdle for Sunderland.
Having such a young squad with a lot of inexperienced players, the amount of games could prove tough, and so could bouncing back from a poor patch of form.
Right now though, the going is very good, and another win this weekend would really set Sunderland apart as title challengers.