Sunderland used to be so 'vulnerable' but Regis Le Bris has stopped that

Jobi McAnuff has heaped praise on Sunderland’s head coach Regis Le Bris and noted a key difference to the team from 18 months ago. Speaking on the 72+ Podcast by the BBC, pundit McAnuff, 42 and a veteran of close to 700 Football League matches as a player, hailed the Frenchman’s work so far.

He compared the team to that which played under Tony Mowbray who guided the Black Cats to a top-six finish in the 2022/23 Championship season.

McAnuff said of Le Bris: “The biggest credit I can give him; they were very exciting under Tony Mowbray, but they always looked very vulnerable, open, and susceptible to conceding goals. They were so good going forward but there was always that side to them, because they committed so many bodies forward.

“What he’s brought is a real structure out of possession as well, and that excitement is still there. The likes of [Romaine] Mundle, Chris Rigg, that young crop of young players. Jobe Bellingham too and [Wilson] Isidor up front.”

The rate at which Sunderland are conceding goals this season would equate to approximately 35 goals conceded over the 46-game campaign.

Last season, the Black Cats conceded 54 goals in the Championship, and 55 in the 2022/23 season where they claimed that top-six finish. That season under Mowbray, Sunderland scored 68 goals and are banging them in again this term.

It highlights McAnuff’s point about Sunderland having shored up defensively following a couple of leaky seasons – and yet they are still scoring goals which is a great sign.