Sunderland will need all the help they can get to get the better of Leeds United in tonight’s Championship encounter, so perhaps Regis Le Bris can use his knowledge of one opponent to his advantage.
The Black Cats travel to Elland Road for one of the biggest games of the season, looking to put a dent in Leeds United’s title challenge while also clawing back some ground in the race for automatic promotion for themselves.
Regis Le Bris’ men are currently in fourth place, seven points behind Leeds, but a win in Yorkshire tonight would certainly make that four-horse race a bit more interesting.
While Le Bris ponders the decisions he needs to get right to beat Leeds, the Frenchman may also look to lean on his past relationship with a key Leeds player from his time at Lorient.
Regis Le Bris used to work with Illan Meslier at Lorient
We already knew that Le Bris was key to Enzo Le Fee’s move to Sunderland in January, based on the fact the pair worked closely together at Lorient.
But, during Le Bris’ time as head of youth development and coach of the under-17 squad at Lorient, he also oversaw the development of Leeds United goalkeeper, Illan Meslier.
And, as per the Sunderland Echo, Le Bris has discussed his experiences working alongside Meslier back in the day, and the ‘potential’ he saw in the young goalkeeper.
He said: “[Meslier and Le Fee] were in the same year coming through at Lorient. They played in the same youth team when I was coach. They both stood out from a very early age. I always knew they had a good chance of doing very well, although there were different dynamics for each of them.
“Illan wasn’t so tall when he was young, so his real development probably came a bit later when he was 16 or 17 years old. He discovered his real potential around 17 or 18. Enzo was really talented when he was very young, but then, he had a period where he struggled with injuries. His body wasn’t really physically mature between the period of 17 and 18.
“After that, though, he became the player he is now. So, although they were together, they had different dynamics and a different pathway. But by the time they had turned 18 or 19, it was clear they both had a lot of potential.”
Meslier joined Leeds on loan in 2019 from Lorient, before making the move permanent in 2020. He has since made over 200 appearances for the Yorkshire outfit.
Illan Meslier mistakes could be a gift for Sunderland
Leeds United may be flying high in the Championship table this season, and Meslier has kept an abundance of clean sheets, too, but the Frenchman has made a number of errors throughout the campaign.
The 24-year-old has come in for plenty of criticism over the course of the season, and his errors have cost Leeds United valuable points.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 33 | 22 | 6 | 5 | 47 | 23 | 24 | 70 |
| 2 |  LeedsLeeds | 32 | 20 | 9 | 3 | 66 | 19 | 47 | 69 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 33 | 17 | 14 | 2 | 39 | 9 | 30 | 65 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 32 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 49 | 28 | 21 | 62 |
| 5 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 33 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 39 | 31 | 8 | 51 |
| 6 |  West BromWest Brom | 33 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 48 |
While Sunderland have their own weak links they need to protect tonight, it’s safe to say the Black Cats will be looking to pile the pressure on Meslier and force a mistake or two to try and get an upper hand in the game.
One thing’s for sure, if the Sunderland attackers can exploit Meslier’s fragility, that Elland Road crowd will quickly turn, and we could see another shocking turn in the thrilling promotion race.