Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has outdone one of Tony Mowbray’s achievements at the club.
Sunderland currently find themselves sitting 4th in the Championship as they enter the international break, with eight games left to play.
With a 12-point cushion separating the Black Cats and 7th place, Sunderland look almost certain to finish this season in the playoff places, a remarkable improvement on last season’s uninspiring campaign, which led to a 16th place finish after a diabolical latter stage of the season.
There was very little expectation of Regis Le Bris having a positive impact this season, with Sunderland even being tipped for relegation by some prior to the campaign kicking off, and not only has the Frenchman exceeded how many thought his tenure would pan out, he has also one-upped former boss Tony Mowbray in one brilliant way.
Sunderland level Tony Mowbray points tally under Regis Le Bris with eight games spare
In the highly successful 2022/23 campaign, Sunderland reached the playoffs under Mowbray, notably courtesy of some top individual performances by the likes of Amad Diallo, who is now shining at Man United.
Sunderland found themselves 6th in the table with a total of 69 points, but Le Bris has already equalled that tally set by the 2022/23 squad, and he has done so with eight games to spare.
This just shows the level Sunderland have played at this season under Le Bris, and despite standards somewhat slipping in recent weeks, with the Black Cats suffering a defeat to Coventry City last time out, they are still very much in the midst of an incredible season under the French boss.
Regis Le Bris deserves credit for steering the ship towards potential promotion
Ahead of the 2024/25 season, there was very little sense of optimism for the campaign ahead, partially because of a blend of the hangover from 2023/24, as well as the difficulties Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman faced in finding a successor to take over from Michael Beale.
The fact that Le Bris was clearly not Speakman’s first choice also brought doubts into many fans’ minds, and the Frenchman has done very well to still steer the side through success this season despite all of that.
Whether Sunderland can finish off the season with a promotion via the playoffs or not, Le Bris has still done brilliantly to bring that optimism and hope back to the shores of Wearside, and there is no doubt that he will have a positive long-term impact on the club.