Regis Le Bris has been speaking to the press ahead of the weekend’s action in the Championship, but took some time to reflect on that incredible win against Swansea last week.
Sunderland have managed to keep pace with the teams at the top of the Championship table, even in spite of their dip in form through November.
Their resurgent form has helped massively, and in just one week Sunderland proved they could be title contenders, with the Black Cats securing comebacks against Stoke, Bristol City, and then Swansea.
Coming back from two goals down is something no Sunderland manager has achieved in 26 years, which underlines just how impressive and surprising the events were, but Regis Le Bris never doubted his team.
Sunderland had everything they needed to win against Swansea
In his latest press conference (via the Sunderland YouTube channel), Le Bris was asked about the incredible turnaround, and what he thought as he watched on from the sidelines.
He said: “I felt on the bench and we felt as staff that we were close to our direct opponent and it was possible to win. We had good qualities and the team to manage the situations.
“Probably the last four or five games we were not very clinical in the finishing zone but the confidence was there. So it wasn’t really a surprise. I felt the confidence, the character and the resilience. the team showed before that we have these qualities.”
By the sounds of it, Le Bris always had faith the Sunderland squad had enough to grind out the result. After the game, Le Bris praised the character in his team, and it’s something that will serve them well for the rest of the season.
- READ MORE: Regis Le Bris hints at uncertainty over Sunderland future with honest claim ahead of Norwich City
Sunderland now have the belief to achieve the impossible
Getting those kinds of results from such difficult deficits can be season-defining. Indeed, Sunderland went from being joint-worst in the Championship for getting points from losing positions, to now being one of the best.
To show that kind of resilience is impressive enough, but the lasting effects that can give the team, especially one as young as this, could be monumental.
| Championship rank | Club | Deficits | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Points gained |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| =24th | Swansea City | 9 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| =24th | Millwall | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| =24th | Preston North End | 8 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| =24th | Stoke City | 11 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 2 |
| 20th | Derby County | 12 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| 19th | Cardiff City | 12 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 |
| 18th | Sheffield United | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| =5th | Sunderland | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
This Sunderland team will now fear no one, and will not let their heads go down even if they are a couple of goals behind, and they will surely gain points from losing positions again and again as the season goes on.
Sunderland are on track for promotion right now, and with that brilliant unbeaten record at the Stadium of Light still in tact, too, there’s every reason to believe the Black Cats can go all the way.