Sunderland’s promotion credentials will be given a stern test on Friday night when they travel to Bramall Lane to face Sheffield United.
After a run of five consecutive draws, Sunderland have slipped down the Championship table, with Sheffield United and Leeds United overtaking them this week.
Regis Le Bris now needs to get his team back on track against a side with one of the best, most resolute home records in the division.
However, Le Bris is not too concerned about that recent run of results, and has now identified the ways his team could win the battle at Bramall Lane.
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Sunderland must control midfield battle against Sheffield United
Speaking to the press today (via the Sunderland YouTube channel), Le Bris pinpointed three key areas in which Sunderland will need to be at their best, and stressed the importance of versatility.
He said: “I don’t know if it will be the opposite [to West Brom’s more restrictive approach], but it will be different. It is still the case in this league that it is always a tough challenge and a different style of play.
“For us, as I explained, we need to be versatile with our game model. It’s about how we can press in the midfield and how can we defend in our third, we need to watch out for the balance in midfield and watch out for the set pieces.”
Le Bris was quick to point out that each team in this league presents a fresh challenge, and that his approach to each game has to be malleable to meet the demands of the opposition.
“Against different opponents, probably two or three phases are more important, but against others, different phases and scenarios are more important,” he added. “A well-rounded team is absolutely needed in this league. Our foundations are getting better; we are not perfect but we feel we can trust different phases.”
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Sunderland are the underdogs, and that might suit them
After being the dominant force in the Championship for much of the season, Sunderland find themselves in an odd position now, going into the game against Sheffield United as underdogs in many ways.
Given their current form and United’s record, few would predict an away win on Friday night, but that could be just the drop in expectations that the Black Cats need to get back on track.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 31 | 12 | 19 | 35 |
| 2 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 9 | 15 | 35 |
| 3 |  BurnleyBurnley | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 6 | 15 | 33 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 17 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 26 | 12 | 14 | 33 |
| 5 |  WatfordWatford | 17 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 29 |
| 6 |  MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough | 17 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 20 | 9 | 27 |
If Regis Le Bris can make the right tactical decisions to combat Sheffield United, and if his young team play without fear, they could absolutely deliver a shock result at Bramall Lane.
Anyone can beat anyone in the Championship, and Le Bris is clearly taking a very pragmatic approach to the daunting task ahead of him and his team.