Sunderland’s play-off place was made mathematically safe after their 0-0 draw against Norwich and Regis Le Bris must learn key lessons from the club’s previous play-off campaigns.
Sunderland’s 0-0 draw against Norwich confirmed their place in the 2024/25 Championship play-offs.
Regis Le Bris’ side were uncharacteristically flat and devoid of dynamism at Carrow Road, but still stretched their unbeaten to run three games following the international break.
Automatic promotion is not out of the question, just yet, but the Black Cats look destined to finish in the fourth place they’ve occupied for several weeks now in the Championship table.
In their recent history, Sunderland have been both League One play-off winners under Alex Neil and then were beaten in the Championship’s semi-final second-leg against Luton with Tony Mowbray at the helm.
Le Bris must learn some crucial lessons from Sunderland’s two previous play-off campaigns to guide the Black Cats back to the Premier League promised land.
Five lessons Regis Le Bris ahead of 24/25 play-offs
Make the Stadium of Light a fortress
Aside from Le Bris’ tactical knowledge, the litany of attacking and defensive stars Sunderland have at their disposal or their impressive record so far this season – one of their biggest assets off the pitch is in the stands.
Over 40,000 Sunderland supporters will pack the Stadium of Light to the rafters and create a cauldron of intensity to strike fear into their visiting play-off foes.
Under Mowbray, the semi-final first-leg victory over Luton was electric. Amad Diallo’s stunning free-kick equaliser, and Trai Hume’s tie-winning header, had the Stadium of Light shaking to it’s very core.
Le Bris’ side yields the third-highest win rate (60%) on home soil across the second tier so far this season, pipped only by title contenders Sheffield and Leeds. Maintaining this stellar home form, where the Sunderland faithful can become the 12th man, will be pivotal for the eventual play-off clash on Wearside.
Let mavericks take centre stage
Despite the pressure of a season-defining clash, both Mowbray and Neil let their attacking talents flourish, to great effect in both play-off campaigns.
Against Sheffield Wednesday in the League One affair, dangerous duo Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts were pivotal to the infamous victory at Hillsborough, with Clarke driving into the box and laying it on a plate for Roberts to snatch the semi-final win in the dying embers.
In the Luton first-leg, Mowbray’s prized asset Amad made the difference in typically magical fashion, getting the game back on level terms with an audacious strike from range.
Le Bris’ side has mavericks of its own, particularly that of Roma loanee Enzo Le Fee and youngster Chris Rigg, who are both capable of producing those moments of magic. Despite the high stakes, Le Bris must let those inventors off the leash – as the red and white faithful have witnessed it can make all the difference in those now-iconic moments – and that let them create their own.
Dropping too deep will come back to bite
Le Bris has been critiqued at times this season for instructing Sunderland to sit too deep without the ball, which was evident in the Norwich draw, with his side 13th in the league for highest average possession.
Sunderland were outgunned physically in the second-leg defeat at Luton, with Roberts being forced into a makeshift right-back role and Trai Hume pushed into centre-back given injuries.
Dropping deep and hoping to see out a goalless stalemate at Kenilworth Road was a thankless endeavor and a decision that came back to bite Mowbray after Gabriel Osho’s tenth-minute goal.
All of the play-off contenders pose serious threats with the ball, and if Le Bris sets his stall out too defensively in the semi-final clashes, it will be a precarious task to keep the most potent second tier attackers at bay.
Treat injured stars with caution ahead of play-offs
Romaine Mundle looks set to miss the remainder of the campaign after suffering a reoccurrence of the hamstring injury which has blighted his season.
Le Fee has recently reentered the Sunderland fold following his previous injury setback, and Jobe Bellingham suffered an injury concern that kept him out of the Norwich clash on Tuesday. The Black Cats boss must manage their minutes carefully as the regular Championship campaign curtails, to protect against semi-final sidelining knocks, while ensuring they’re still at their sharpest.
Sunderland boss Le Bris must be careful with Le Fee ahead of the play-off campaign, with his creative prowess potentially the difference maker for the Black Cats’ run-in.
Right blend of styles will be key to success
Neil’s Sunderland side were ruthlessly efficient and dispatched Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final with ease.
Mowbray’s free-flowing attacking football was a pleasure to behold, but ultimately their lack of physical presence cost them against the Hatters, despite the first-leg comeback.
Le Bris Black Cats side have exhibited both these styles this season, putting teams like Sheffield Wednesday to the sword early on in a 4-0 rout, whilst also solidifying themselves as one of the hardest teams to beat in the Championship by having their fourth-best record for goals conceded per match.
However, against Norwich, the Frenchman’s outfit displayed the worst of both those worlds, in a performance that didn’t exude confidence for the run-in. Whether Le Bris turns the dial more in the no-holds-barred Mowbray mold, or the Scot’s typically steely style, remains to be seen ahead of the season-defining fixtures.
But one thing for certain is that this young, tenacious, and gifted Sunderland side are on the brink of something special during the Frenchman’s first season on Wearside.
It is up to Le Bris and the promotion-hunting Black Cats to flourish, not falter, at the approaching final hurdle.