Overlooked By Some, But Régis Le Bris Is Adored By Us!
· Yahoo Sports
The all-too-predictable outcome of the Premier League’s ‘Manager of the Season’ vote has been announced, with the award going to (drumroll, please) Mikel Arteta, after he guided Arsenal to the title. Was it an achievement? Of course, but he coached a team of established superstars to victory in what turned out to be very much a two-horse race.
He only had to fend off the challenge of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, as the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea suffered patches of indifferent form, and Tottenham imploded in spectacular style.
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Aston Villa did their best to push the Gunners but fell away in the closing weeks of the season as their attentions turned to European glory, whereas the other pretenders to the ‘Big Six’ — our noisy neighbours — never really got going (snigger!).
Yes, Arteta has also led the Gunners to the Champions League final but the outcome is yet to be determined.
The reality is that when looking back at the history of the award, it may as well be handed over at the same time as the Premier League trophy — there have only been five occasions when the accolade has been awarded to a manager whose team didn’t win the title and the last time it happened was in 2022, when Jurgen Klopp was recognised as Liverpool finished as runners up to Manchester City by a point.
The only previous non title-winning managers that’ve defied the odds are Tony Pulis with Crystal Palace) in 2014, Alan Pardew with the Visitors in 2012, Harry Redknapp at Tottenham in 2010 and George Burley with Ipswich Town in in 2001.
The case for Régis Le Bris’ consideration was undeniable.
The calm, studious and relatively inexperienced French coach was in his first season in the Premier League, charged with guiding a newly-promoted team to survival for the first time in three seasons.
That in itself was a task which had proved too great for more experienced managers like Chris Wilder and Steve Cooper and in previous campaigns, more highly-rated young coaches like Russell Martin, Vincent Kompany and Kieran McKenna.
Sunderland’s hierarchy went above and beyond to provide Le Bris with the best tools for the job, with a thorough and carefully curated programme of recruitment. That simply presented a new challenge for the former L’Orient coach — he had to integrate a huge influx of players into the tactical model and ethos he’d developed within his promotion-winning squad.
Despite having to play catch-up as a result of being promoted via the playoffs, Le Bris quickly evaluated his newly-assembled squad, handed the captaincy to Granit Xhaka and set about developing the tactically flexible approach that would serve him so well as the season progressed.
There were bumps in the road along the way — at Old Trafford, the initial set up was wrong; Habib Diarra’s early promise was halted by serious injury and, of course, the loss of players to AFCON loomed.
Yet the positive signs kept occurring.
Beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge proved that this was not a team who would roll over obligingly and accept relegation as inevitable. As Brian Brobbey regained full fitness, the muscular Dutchman became a focal point for the creativity of Enzo Le Fée and Xhaka. Le Bris’ concentration on defensive solidarity paid huge dividends and for much of the season, only Arsenal and Manchester City had a better record for goals conceded.
Key to that was the defensive cover afforded by the endless running of Xhaka and Noah Sadiki, as the skipper used his experience to instil discipline and provide direction for his teammates. But it was by no means a case of Sunderland “parking the bus’; Trai Hume’s ability to transition from defence to midfield, and vice versa, allowed Le Bris the tactical flexibility to unleash Enzo Le Fée’s sublime skills.
Le Bris remained his characteristic measured and phlegmatic self, not getting carried away, as his side sat comfortably in the mid and upper reaches of the table in the early part of the season. Forty points remained the target and, when injury robbed the side of the presence of the hugely influential Xhaka, it was still to be achieved.
The Frenchman’s outward demeanour remained unchanged in the face of some disappointing results as the Lads struggled in the capital against Brentford, West Ham and Fulham in the New Year, and exited the FA Cup at the hands of Port Vale. Then, having already hit the magic forty-point mark against Leeds, Le Bris heaped more misery on the Mags, masterminding a league double over them and ushering in a proud new era of Sunderland chants!
With safety assured, attempts at playing a slightly more expansive style of football against Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest didn’t quite go to plan — yet Le Bris reviewed, revamped and readjusted.
A strong performance in the new Hill Dickinson Stadium overwhelmed Everton in the penultimate fixture of the season, which kept Sunderland in contention for a scarcely-believable European spot.
We all know what happened on Sunday but it’s what was achieved in the previous thirty seven matches that would easily have justified the accolade of Premier League ‘Manager of the Season’ ending up in the hands of Le Bris.
He took a newly-promoted side, with a freshly assembled squad, and turned them into a formidable unit which went toe-to-toe with the established teams, finishing in seventh spot and qualifying for the Europa League.
Fulham were the only side that managed to take six points off the Black Cats, while Chelsea and the Visitors each surrendered six points. In total, the Lads recovered twenty two points from losing positions.
In the last fifty years, only Peter Reid can rival Le Bris as Sunderland’s most successful manager.
The loveable Liverpudlian achieved incredible things but since he did so, the gulf between the Championship and the Premier League has widened considerably. In qualifying for the Europa League, Le Bris has not only bridged that gap, he’s done so in spectacular fashion.
Perhaps the fact that Le Bris was not recognised is a blessing in disguise.
Maybe it’s in the club’s best interests that the tactically astute academic remains a little below the radar — especially now he’s proved capable of earning respect from seasoned internationals that’ve already plied their trade at top teams across Europe.
If the Premier League chose not to recognise him, we as fans did. In just two seasons, he’s already given us memories to last a lifetime, and who knows what our first European adventure in the modern era will bring?
We know the truth: Reggie woz robbed!