Régis Le Bris opens up on Sunderland ambition and success so far in new interview
The Sunderland head coach has led his team back into the Premier League with a chance of finishing in the top ten
Régis Le Bris says he hopes to help turn Sunderland into a consistent top-ten Premier League club but admits it’s a process that might take time.
Le Bris was a number of Sunderland figures interviewed on a special edition of BBC Radio Newcastle’s Total Sport, which was broadcast live from the Academy of Light. The Sunderland head coach, who has so far enjoyed two hugely successful campaigns at the helm, was asked what his message for fans would be and while he said he couldn’t guarantee future results he was working hard to establish the club in the top tier.
“It's hard to say about the results in the future [and make guarantees], I think the most important is to stay consistent,” Le Bris said.
“I know as a fan, you want to react quickly about results because it's really emotional and it's fair to stay connected with your emotions. But after that, a project like Sunderland in the Premier League is a question of consistency, a question of vision as well. We want to become a strong club and consistent club in the top 10. I think that's really the objective, but it takes time. So we'll see if it's soon or something that happens later.”
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Le Bris opens up on Sunderland success so far
Le Bris said he had been ‘lucky’ to find a good fit for his coaching style at Sunderland, and praised the recruitment which has been so key to his success. He also said similarities between the area and his native Brittany had probably helped him adapt and build a team which has a strong rapport with the fanbase.
“The job is a bit unpredictable because you can't control everything, and when you are lucky, probably, you find the right environment for your own style, and I think it matched really well,” Le Bris said.
“So it starts from the recruitment. You have to find the right place, and when it's done, you have to work hard. Sometimes it's not aligned, and you can work hard, but it won't work. But in this situation, it worked well.
“It's easy [for me to adapt] because it's really similar to my previous region. I was born in Brittany. I spent 40-45 years in Rennes, Lorient or Quimper. So it's really similar to here with a working-class community, and I came from this community as well. So it's another country, but it's the same culture.”
Le Bris also opened up on his management style, and stressed the importance of not getting carried away either in victory or defeat.
“Sometimes [the feeling] inside is tough,” he said.
“After strong defeats, for example. But it's important to set the tone because the manager is always observed. So if the energy is different, it will be contagious in one way or the other way. So especially after defeats, it's important to stay composed, after great wins as well because consistency is key in this job.”
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