Regis Le Bris has quickly settled on his favoured Sunderland XI.
Sunderland look as though they’ve been playing under Regis Le Bris for much longer than just a few weeks.
Since the 2024/25 season began, the Black Cats have looked like a well-oiled machine; passing, attacking, and defending very impressively, and having barely put a foot wrong so far.
Sunderland sit in 1st place of the Championship table. They’ve won their opening four games of the campaign and have done so without some key players in the side, such as Dan Ballard.
Le Bris has quickly found his favoured shape and starting XI. And with four new players arriving on deadline day, it means that Le Bris has even more depth in his first-team squad.
And that strength in depth is evident when we look at Sunderland’s second starting XI.
The second starting XI that Regis Le Bris can field at Sunderland
Excluding all the players that Le Bris started during the 3-1 win v Portsmouth last time out, Sunderland would still have a very strong XI.
Simon Moore impressed on his debut vs Preston North End in the Carabao Cup, whilst the injured Aji Alese has shone this season at centre-back.
And Sunderland have a couple of decent defensive players injured in Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins right now, who’ll certainly bolster the first-team ranks when they return, along with new signing Chris Mepham.
Elsewhere, Le Bris’ new midfield options in Milan Aleksic and Salis Abdul Samed will shore up the midfield department, whilst Dan Neil was suspended for the Portsmouth game and Alan Browne stepped in and showed his class.
The attacking department is also one with depth following the summer transfer window, and the arrivals of Wilson Isidor and Ian Poveda, with Tom Watson also looking to make his breakthrough.
Here’s a second XI that Le Bris could field at Sunderland when everyone is fit; Moore (GK), Hjelde, Mepham, Alese, Seelt, Samed, Aleksic, Watson, Aouchiche, Poveda, Isidor.
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One thing will be key for Regis Le Bris at Sunderland this season
With so many quality player to call upon, Le Bris must make use of it.
Le Bris must make sure he rotates his side in the correct way throughout the season, which will also help to ensure that his side can maintain this current intensity throughout.
The likes of Poveda, Watson, and Isidor gives Le Bris a whole new attacking front-line, and he must make full use of all of them to keep Sunderland’s high press as intense as it has been so far.
Whilst Le Bris may have trouble keeping some players happy, it’s certainly a nice problem for the Sunderland boss to have right now.