Sunderland host Stoke City this weekend, and Regis Le Bris has made a big request to the Black Cats fans ahead of the game.
After a phenomenal start to the season, Sunderland have seen their form take a drastic dip and they are now slipping down the Championship table.
Up next for Regis Le Bris’ side is the challenge of a home tie against Stoke City at the Stadium of Light, with both sides desperate to get back to winning ways.
The clash between ‘struggling’ Sunderland and Stoke has been tipped to be a tight affair, but Le Bris may just know how his team can get the upper hand.
Regis Le Bris plays up importance of Stadium of Light crowd
Looking ahead to the weekend’s fixture, Le Bris has been speaking to the press (via the Sunderland YouTube channel) and outlined the ways the team can benefit from the immense support they get at home, and how they can repay those fans.
Le Bris said: “The connection we have with our fans… they deserve to have positive emotions and we need them to get back our positive emotions. Sometimes it’s like a circle, it could be vicious or positive. We can create a new positive dynamic with one good result.
“We’ve spoken a lot about the idea that we have to deserve our fans. The connection here in England, especially at Sunderland, is fantastic. One action can create massive energy in the stadium and they can support the team to maybe be more creative.”
Given what we know about Stoke City ahead of the Sunderland game, having the fanbase right behind the players will be crucial to combatting a gritty, well-organised team and getting the result the Black Cats need.
The Stadium of Light needs to be a fortress for Sunderland
Let’s be honest, the Stadium of Light is absolutely huge, and when it’s packed full with 40,000-odd fans, there is no venue in the Football League quite like it.
It is a Premier League ground, with a supporter base worthy of the top flight, too — Sunderland boast the highest average attendance in the Championship this season, by quite some distance. Now, the club simply has to get back to where it belongs as soon as possible.
The team can’t do that without that support, though, and Le Bris makes a good point in the idea of the circle of positive energy coming from the players to the fans and back again.
There are a number of issues underlying Sunderland’s poor form right now, but it’s all largely based around mentality rather than skill, and if the fans and players can work in unison, starting on Saturday, that should be remedied very easily.