Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris has enjoyed an overall positive first half of the season. But it’s certainly not been easy, and Le Bris has had his critics.
Regis Le Bris was the absolute hero for Sunderland after the opening 10 games of the season. Sunderland were sitting in 1st place of the Championship table and looked unstoppable.
But a few poor performances later, a few poor results and a drop off in the league table has put into perspective the challenges that an entire Championship campaign faces.
And Black Cats fans have had some words to say about Le Bris, too. In particular, Sunderland fans have been critical of Le Bris’ substitutions in games and of certain selection calls too.
Sunderland’s 3-2 comeback win against Swansea last time out arguably summed up their season so far in a nutshell: sometimes very poor, but more often than not, very good.
After that game and in the build up to the Norwich City clash on Saturday, Le Bris gave a somewhat surprising verdict on his position at the club.
Regis Le Bris’ surprising admission on Sunderland future ahead of Norwich City
Speaking to the press on Thursday afternoon, Le Bris looked back on his first six months in charge at the Stadium of Light.
He also went on to remind everyone, and maybe himself, that the football business can be a very brutal one at times.
Le Bris explained: “I really enjoy the connection with the people, with the project, with the players, with all the people around the team.
“And it’s not often in our job because our job is very unstable. When you can enjoy this period, you have to enjoy it, really, because it’s not often.
“But if you can last, why not. We’ll see. Because you know that football is still unpredictable, and at least if I’m focused on my job and I tried my best.”
How long is Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland contract?
When Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman hired Le Bris in the summer, there was a definite sense that it was an appointment for the long-term.
The likes of Alex Neil and Tony Mowbray looked more like ‘there and then’ appointments. Le Bris though seems like the man tasked with finally taking Sunderland to the Premier League and stabilising them there.
He was handed a three-year contract in the summer whereas those before him were handed rolling contracts, which backs up the idea that Le Bris is a long-term hire.
Sunderland against Norwich City kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, at the Stadium of Light.