The whole world — or at least those who watch Championship matches on a Monday — is starting to pay real attention to Enzo Le Fee, but there’s still so much more to come from the Sunderland ace.
Sunderland pulled off what has been described as the best signing of the January transfer window in the Championship when they bagged Enzo Le Fee on loan from AS Roma.
The Frenchman took a little time to settle in on Wearside, but has shown glimpses of his quality already. However, in the win over Middlesbrough on Monday night, Le Fee took it to ‘another level’ with his match-winning display.
Regis Le Bris knows Le Fee very well from their time together at Lorient, and the Sunderland manager admits he is impressed by his new signing, but suggests the Championship hasn’t seen the best of him yet.
Enzo Le Fee can still improve, and the players around him will, too
Speaking to the club’s official website after the win over Middlesbrough and Le Fee’s man of the match display, Le Bris insisted his new player is only just getting started.
He said: “Enzo needed a short period to connect with the players and find the rhythm because he hadn’t played much before at Roma. He is now close to his best level, he has so many good qualities and he can show more in the future. We can feel the quality right now, though.
“He has technical qualities but he has really connected with the players and the team so he is a really good teammate in and out of possession. He can make the others better. We will see in the future just how effective he can be.
“We need time and this week we had one full week to work. It was a very important week to connect Dennis, Jobe, and Enzo. At the same time, we need experiences on the pitch in competitive situations and layer after layer we find there is rhythm.”
Le Fee was our player of the match versus Middlesbrough, and his arrival was certainly the highlight of Sunderland’s transfer window. The fact he, and those around him, can still get better is a very scary thought indeed (unless you’re a Sunderland fan).
- READ MORE: Early Sunderland predicted XI vs Watford as Regis Le Bris ponders major Enzo Le Fee decision
Sunderland still have another level they can reach this season
It is truly incredible what Sunderland have achieved this season already. The Black Cats have now surpassed last season’s points tally with 16 games to go, and Le Bris has got the team playing exciting, organised football.
The Sunderland squad is so young and raw, yet exceptionally talented, and they are quickly building a great mentality, too. What’s most impressive is, they don’t even look like they’ve hit top gear yet this term.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  LeedsLeeds | 30 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 60 | 19 | 41 | 63 |
| 2 |  BurnleyBurnley | 31 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 37 | 9 | 28 | 61 |
| 3 |  Sheff UtdSheffield Utd | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 41 | 21 | 20 | 61 |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 30 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 58 |
| 5 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 31 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 35 | 31 | 4 | 45 |
| 6 |  West BromWest Brom | 30 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 39 | 27 | 12 | 44 |
It would appear Sunderland have all-but confirmed their place in the play-offs this season, with it very unlikely they will slip out of the top four. Whether they can go on and nab a top two spot and gain promotion automatically is another matter.
With an unbeaten home record still in tact, some of the best players in the division, and only the one game left against teams above them (away at Leeds United on February 17th), there’s every chance Sunderland can grab the results they need in the final run-in and surprise us all.
Here’s hoping they can do it, and prove that the financial might of the titans in the Championship is not the be all and end all when it comes to achieving success at this level.