Regis Le Bris makes decision on Sunderland leadership group that fans will love
Regis Le Bris has proven capable of taking Sunderland to new heights in the Premier League thus far.
Sunderland are the best-performing recently promoted Championship side, despite tasting defeat last time out.
The Black Cats parted for the international break on a low after Manchester United defeated Sunderland at Old Trafford. Before then, Sunderland prospered in a narrow 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Le Bris’s side now sit ninth in the Premier League, where a select set of players could make the difference in remaining in the top flight.
Sunderland still establishing leadership group
Granit Xhaka has been wearing the captain’s armband since he arrived at Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen.
Former Arsenal midfielder Xhaka has been Sunderland’s signing of the summer and has become a huge presence in the dressing room.
Meanwhile, Luke O’Nien has recently returned for Sunderland, having been sidelined with a shoulder injury.
As club captain last season and given the role Xhaka has stepped into as of late, Le Bris has said the two remain crucial leadership figures. However, the manager is still establishing his formal leadership group.
In quotes provided by Sunderland Echo on 9 October, he said: “Because now we have a new squad and we are still in the first part of our journey, so it’s a bit early to decide how we’ll create this leadership group.
“It comes from everyone in the squad first of all. After that, Granit is the captain on the pitch, Luke is the club captain because of his history in the club and his behaviour on a daily basis.
“After that, you have multiple important players. At the minute we don’t need to create a specific group, we know we have these two players and they are really well connected with the group and the club.”
Therefore, caution seems to be a practice best kept for Le Bris as he continues to navigate the Black Cats’ entry into the Premier League.
Sunderland fans will love Regis Le Bris’s cautious approach
There will no doubt be a couple of fans disappointed that a formal leadership group is still to be established.
However, most Sunderland fans will love that they have a manager who is attentive to the players at his disposal, their career progression and who prioritises the immediate needs of the club.
- Sunderland signed 15 players over the summer, either on a permanent transfer or on loan
- The Black Cats spent around £162million on transfers
With so many new arrivals who had limited experience in the Premier League, most have needed and will need time to adjust to the pace of the first division.
Deciding on a leadership group right now would either mean forcing players who are not ready to take on a demanding role, or snubbing players who have not yet had the chance to prove themselves under Le Bris.
Therefore, waiting until Sunderland and their players are more established in the Premier League seems to be the right call.
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