Don’t want one of them Johnny Foreigners in like. Especially the Frenchies. Don’t think they know what they’re doing. Give me a good old English manager who’ll give em the hairdryer treatment and make em realise how lucky they are. We don’t want them progressive types at our club.
It’s remarkable to me just how different Le Bris’ Sunderland are, though it’s early days, compared to Le Bris’ Lorient even in his first, more successful season. Defensively we look so well organised but his record in this regard at Lorient was really poor (across both years) We press so aggressively (less so away from home) and look so well drilled in doing so but he seemingly barely deployed this approach at all at Lorient. They were far more passive. Maybe it’s just the players he has at his disposal here relative to the league they’re competing in that means he can take a different approach but then it’s impressive that the club identified him as the man to implement this playing identity so effectively when, on the surface level at least, there was little evidence that he’d be so good at it.
I just can't understand how quickly he's got a tune out of these same lads who for three months last season you'd have thought they'd never seen a football before. It's quite remarkable...we must also give Dodds and Procter some credit also, but Regie is turning out to be the man we all hoped for having waited so long for his appointment. Well done the hierarchy at SAFC.
I'd love to watch the training sessions, just to see how the shape and press we are using is coached into the team. I know it's only 4 games and I read and hear people saying teams will work out how to combat it, but we just look so organised and disciplined
this is a great read outlining RLBs tactics at both lorient and here. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/h...s-sunderland-202425-tactical-analysis-tactics
A really positive start. Like you say early days, but positive. The structure out of possession really is the impressive part. For me anyway. There were times under Beale (I know I will get grief but sod it) where you could see a clearer definition in the out of possession play. It was clearly a brief from above in terms of areas to focus on. Dodds took that on I felt, and he showed in that game against Leeds, his tactical awareness. We just lost momentum and had key injuries going forward. Some heads went down. That was at the door of the senior team for appounting and bulleting Beale at terrible times in the season. I think Le Bris has picked up the baton started last season. Players like Neil have learned the role and Jobe is much more aware of his role. Smart on Le Bris to build on what was underway, but of course doing things better. It is midfield where the progress is clear, and with Jobe and Rigg producing at their level, and Browne coming in, to an extent Regis is enjoying a good hand, so to speak. If Ekwah was im not Browne would it be as effective for example? Roberts being this fit? Where it is clear he has brought his ideas in the style of the press. It isnt a 2 or 3 man press, it is a 5 or 6 man press into the high 2 thirds. That itself is a fantastic piece of coaching I would say. Teams will find that brutal if we can keep that up as there is limited outball through the first line for them. Somebody posted somewhere earlier about how Mowbray had only one idea which was to give it to the forwards and let them do it. That is not at all accurate in my opinion. Mowbray laid the foundations in this team in terms of our attacking style. That remains on display in this team. The way we play wide, come inside, play side to side and hit the early cross field. The way we olay with Neil as a 360 degree pivit and how aggressively we pass into midfield. These attributes remain. Mowbray has always been known for his attack minded flair, we have retained some of that under Le Bris for me, whilst bringing more control. There is an ability, if he has it, to let more freedom in the final 3rd, a bit off the cuff if you like. A glimpse of that was seen with the 3rd goal and how Mayenda just went straight at them. That is a player not playing a pattern. For me he is impressive because he is calm and considered. I had a soft spot for the coaching Johnson did here. But he was like scrappy do on the touch line. Neil I didnt like, far too functional and coached by numbers. Mowbray I loved because of his style and love of our young players. He produced some glorious football and had them punching way above their level. Le Bris looks a perfect mix of style and control. Could be perfect. But we are 5 games in. The time to really judge a coach is when we lose, or are under the cosh. That hasnt happened yet and we have enjoyed a relatively benign start. He has the best squad any coach for KLD has enjoyed. He seems a genuinely nice guy. He might well be our Wenger, and I hope he is, but I want to see him challenged a few times and how he responds. I fancy he will do just fine. I am genuinely excited by what I have seem from him. I was quite anti the lad now at Lens, and very much in favour of Rosenior. Right now Le Bris is the man.
