Roy Keane shares emphatic Regis Le Bris claim, Gary Neville agrees in Sunderland verdict
Sunderland have had a brilliant start to their Premier League season under Regis Le Bris.
Sunderland’s 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on Sunday was full of grit and determination, as the Mackems continued their unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light.
Reinildo’s red card left Sunderland with a mountain to climb, but Granit Xhaka and Wilson Isidor linked up yet again to earn Sunderland their eighth point of the season.
Sunderland could make history versus Nottingham Forest, with Le Bris’ side full of confidence as they sit seventh in the league.
Roy Keane and Gary Neville impressed by Regis Le Bris
Le Bris is beloved by all fans, as he ensured Sunderland would play Premier League football for the first time since 2017.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on 25 September, Keane was full of praise for the job Le Bris has done for the Black Cats.
He said: “That manager has done a great job; even the other day when they had a man sent off, there’s a nice feel-good factor and energy amongst the players.”
Neville added: “Out of the promoted teams, they’re the ones that I’ve enjoyed the most.”
While Sunderland have had a relatively favourable run of fixtures, their work-rate and effort have been world-class in each of their first five matches.
- 3-0 W vs West Ham
- 2-0 L vs Burnley
- 2-1 W vs Brentford
- 0-0 D vs Crystal Palace
- 1-1 D vs Aston Villa
Should they beat Forest on Saturday, they would become the first promoted team to hit 11 points after six matches since West Ham in 2012/2013.
Xhaka’s influence in the middle of the pitch has been excellent, whilst Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, and Robin Roefs have been brilliant signings for strengthening the defence.
Habib Diarra’s injury could hurt Sunderland’s form
A setback for Le Bris emerged just before the Villa game, with Diarra picking up a serious injury.
The club record signing sustained a groin injury, and after undergoing surgery, he has been ruled out for months.
Prior to the Aston Villa match, Diarra had started every Premier League game and was beginning to build a good partnership with Xhaka and Noah Sadiki in the heart of the pitch.
With the exciting but inexperienced Chris Rigg likely to step up in Diarra’s absence, there will be a lot of pressure on the 18-year-old’s shoulders to perform consistently.
| Nottingham Forest (a) | 27 September |
| Manchester United (a) | 4 October |
| Wolves (h) | 18 October |
| Chelsea (a) | 25 October |
| Everton (h) | 3 November |
With Sunderland traveling to Manchester United and Chelsea in their next five matches, they will miss Diarra’s industrious work in midfield, and that could seriously impact their performances over the next few matches.
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