Sunderland turnaround demonstrates why Regis Le Bris deserves recognition
Regis Le Bris is among the candidates for the Championship Manager of the Season award.
Despite the recent form, Sunderland have had a marvellous season when taking all things into account.
First and foremost, to have sealed a playoff spot with games to spare is a showcase of the quality that has been on show throughout the course of the campaign.
With the Black Cats sitting fourth, they are the best non-parachute team in the division, and had it not been for injuries, they may very well have given the likes of Leeds and Burnley a run for their money, quite literally.
Le Bris has been the driving force behind that success, and he deserves to be recognised for his contributions in what is his first season in English football.
Sunderland have progressed under Le Bris
Recency bias is a real thing in football, and many will look at the recent form of Sunderland as a reason why he doesn’t deserve to be named as Championship Manager of the Season.
However, not only is this his first season in English football, but he has taken a team that at one point looked as though they could’ve been relegated last season, and transformed them into a side that for 75 per cent of the campaign looked like genuine title contenders.
| Championship | W | D | L | P |
| Sunderland | 21 | 13 | 8 | 76 |
The Frenchman has flaws, as does any manager in this league, but he has essentially overachieved with Sunderland this season, something which can’t be said about the managers he is up against for the award.
Quite frankly, everyone expected Leeds and Burnley to run away with promotion this season, and if we are being honest, neither side have really achieved that.
Premier League football would be the ultimate reward for Sunderland
Whether or not Le Bris wins the award, it is hard to see him being overly fussed.
As a manager, club success is often the best reward for your efforts, and if Sunderland can win the playoffs, he will get the recognition he deserves.
Given their record against the teams around them at the top of the table, the Mackems have every chance of making a return to the Premier League, and given the hard work of everyone associated with the club, it would certainly be deserved.