Replace Régis Le Bris? “Not For Me, Clive”

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 22: James Brayne Assistant Manager of Sunderland, Regis Le Bris Manager of Sunderland and Brian Brobbey of Sunderland celebrate after winning the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James' Park on March 22, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images) | Getty Images Establishing yourself as a successful Sunderland head coach/manager is not, never has been and never will be merely a question of possessing the appropriate level of tactical nous, efficient use of overlapping full backs or of making substitutions at the right time. Those attributes help, of course, but in my opinion, the question of personality and temperament is equally important.

On just about every count, Régis Le Bris ticks the required boxes but that hasn’t stopped the murmurs about his future — as well as the club’s supposedly ‘ruthless’ approach and whether he’s the right man to lead us into the 2026/2027 campaign — from swirling. Premature? Probably, but in the dog-eat-dog world of the modern Premier League, the positions of all bar a handful of bosses are generally expendable, and more’s the pity.

Incidentally, I do feel there’s a touch of ingratitude being directed towards the soft-spoken Frenchman, despite what he’s done for us this season and since his arrival in 2024 (something that reminds me of what happened to Tony Mowbray post-2022/2023), but it’s also easy to be swayed by exotic names and the lure of ever dizzier heights, and to overlook what you have at any given moment. So, let’s dive in and try and untangle this — something that’ll hopefully be easier than getting your Christmas lights ready for the festive period after they’ve been bundled up in the attic for eleven months. First and foremost, it’s fair to say that at the time of writing, the Lads are in a little bit of a funk, form-wise.

One point from nine (it could and should’ve been six) and a couple of jaded performances have hinted at a team that’s perhaps running on empty after a gruelling season, and not unexpectedly so. On the other hand, Saturday’s gritty draw with Wolves ensured that the Stadium of Light will be staging Premier League football for 2026/2027 — which was Le Bris’ primary objective and one that’s been achieved in relative comfort. During our first top flight campaign in almost a decade, Sunderland have remained solidly in mid-table throughout and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Le Bris’ even temperament, inspirational touchline presence and studious approach to football have played a huge role in the Lads’ success this season.