Regis Le Bris, Sunderland and the new standard for teams promoted to the Premier League
Regis Le Bris' newly-promoted Sunderland are proving to be the standard-bearers for a trio of teams who are defying the patterns of previous Premier League seasons when promoted sides have struggled badly
Fuelled by pundits who casually suggest the champions of Europe play in a Mickey Mouse domestic competition, that Spain only has two clubs and Germany only has one, the Premier League is always full of itself. Best this, best that, best everything.
And according to almost everyone who holds forth on TV or radio, the most competitive. By miles. Anyone can beat anyone, no easy games, blah, blah, blah. Only over the last two seasons - 2023/24 and 24/25 - that was utter nonsense.
In the 2023/24 season, Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United were easy games. Home or away. Any day of the week. Those three teams played a combined 114 Premier League matches and won a combined 14 of them.
In the 2024/25 season, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton were easy games. Home or away. Any day of the week. Those three teams played a combined 114 Premier League matches and won a combined 12 of them.
So, that is six teams over two seasons combining to win 26 of their 228 Premier League fixtures. And nine of those wins came in games against each other.
Over the two seasons, those six teams had a combined win percentage of 11.4 percent and an aggregate goal difference of -294, which is -1.3 per game. Dismal. Which is why, even in these formative stages of the 2025/26 season, the performances of the three promoted teams is hugely significant.
Those three teams have played a combined 27 Premier League matches and won a combined 11 of them. Those three have a combined win percentage of 40.7 percent and an aggregate goal difference of -6, which is -0.02 per game. Impressive.
With 11 and 10 points respectively, Leeds United and Burnley would probably have taken this start but the standard-bearers for the promoted three are Sunderland and Régis Le Bris. This is a team and a coach who are showing you CAN have fun when you have just been promoted to the Premier League.
It restores your faith in the pyramid system. And it restores your faith in owners making insightful, clever decisions.
The appointment of Le Bris is proving to be a masterstroke from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and let’s face it, few anticipated that when it happened in the summer of 2024, not long after Sunderland’s manager had taken Lorient to relegation from Ligue 1. As in nearly all cases, results define Le Bris’s popularity - results such as the 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge last Saturday.
But it is his manner that strikes a nice chord even with those without a vested emotional interest in Sunderland. He is studious without being aloof, wryly amusing without being a smart Alec.
And in partnership with the club’s owner and recruitment department, he has played his part in a restructuring of the playing staff that was necessary if the club wanted to seriously attack the challenge of the Premier League. The acquisition of 33-year-old Granit Xhaka has been suitably lauded but what must really excite the supporters is the youthful power and fearlessness of signings such as Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Chemsdine Talbi, aged 21, 20 and 20 respectively.
It goes without saying that Sunderland’s fanbase have played a huge part in this very promising start to the season. They have embraced the era of Le Bris because they see a manager who quite clearly believes the club can do special things.
The only slight negative is that Le Bris has given in to the one demand that promoted managers feel they really must articulate, saying that the main target is to reach 40 points. But he can be forgiven for that.
And if he continues to feed the feelgood factor at his wonderful club, Le Bris will not only be doing Sunderland a great service, he will be doing top-flight football a great service.
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