Sunderland will be hoping for a much improved Championship campaign under Regis Le Bris.
The 2023/24 Championship campaign was certainly one to forget for Sunderland fans, who saw their side drop down the table to 16th come the last game of the season where they were well beaten at the Stadium of Light against Sheffield Wednesday.
They found themselves around the play-offs before former boss Tony Mowbray was controversially relieved of his duties, only to be replaced by Michael Beale who was unable to galvanise his side and repeat the successes of his Championship spell at QPR.
Caretaker manager Mike Dodds then took over, which saw no improvement to the Black Cats’ results and performances, meaning that Sunderland’s play-off hopes were dead by March.
However, optimism seems to have returned to the Stadium of Light with new boss Regis Le Bris taking over, with expectations still set at Sunderland going for the play-offs.
Here we discuss the 2024/25 Championship roster and how Sunderland might fare next season…
Who are favourites for Championship promotion in 2024/25
In the promotion race, all eyes turn on the three relegated Premier League clubs.
Burnley have been slow in starting to make progress in the transfer window, however have in recent times appointed Scott Parker as head coach for the 2024/25 season, who has experience of getting promoted out of the Championship.
Luton Town will also be considered one of the favourites after Rob Edwards committed his future to the club, as well as the Hatters looking to hold on to the likes of Carlton Morris, Tahith Chong and Teden Mengi for the upcoming season.
Sheffield United have made limited progress this transfer window, however are monitoring former Sunderland target Kieffer Moore.
Leeds United will also be hoping to build on last season’s campaign that saw them lose in the play-off final.
Who are the favourites for Championship relegation in 2024/25
The three promoted sides Derby County, Oxford United and Portsmouth will all be up there as favourites, however all three have made significant progress in the transfer window, especially Derby County who have signed proven Champ[ionship experience in Ben Osborn.
Wayne Rooney’s appointment at Plymouth Argyle has raised a few eyebrows after his previous unsuccessful stint with Birmingham City, in which his tenure contributed to the Blues’ relegation to League One.
Blackburn Rovers are also a tough one to call, who stayed up on the last day of the season courtesy of Championship top scorer Sammie Szmodics putting on a sublime performance against Championship winners Leicester City. If Szmodics departs Ewood Park, they could very much be in the relegation conversation.
How will Sunderland fare in the 2024/25 Championship season
The signing of highly experienced Championship players will significantly dictate where Sunderland could finish this season.
Without the necessary leadership, Le Bris could be looking at a similar situation to last season where the squad easily lost motivation and struggled to play up to standard.
The season will also depend on whether Sunderland star trio Jack Clarke, Jobe Bellingham and Anthony Patterson stay a further year, all of which have generated interest from Premier League clubs.
Providing that Le Bris is backed this summer, and is able to implement his playing style that was so successful with Lorient in his first season, there’s no reason as to why Sunderland won’t be floating around the play-offs spots.
It can’t be stressed enough how necessary it will be to bring Championship experience in, otherwise any aspirations of reaching the play-offs may be too far fetched.