Early signs suggest Regis Le Bris has learned from Michael Beale’s mistakes

Reflexes

• New Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris is building a strong foundation with the club and fans.
• Le Bris has an impressive managerial record at FC Lorient, despite a recent relegation.
• He is learning about the club, speaking to former players and the club historian and tackling challenges.

The early days of a football manager cannot be underestimated. Even though the season hasn’t started yet, pre-season offers new managers the chance to build a relationship with players and fans alike and set a precedent for the rest of the season.

Sunderland’s new manager Regis Le Bris appears to be doing just that. Despite being in charge for just a week, the Frenchman has taken vital steps to build a solid foundation with the north-east club and the fans.

The same cannot be said of his predecessor, Michael Beale, who did everything wrong during his brief spell as manager of the club – he lasted just two months.

The French Connection

In appointing Le Bris, he became Sunderland’s first French manager and first foreign manager in the Championship, a change of direction for the club.

He was certainly not a familiar name to Sunderland fans when he emerged as the favourite for the Sunderland job in June, nor was he the first-choice candidate.

The Frenchman had reportedly been on the radar of president Kyril Louis-Dreyfus for some time. The manager had impressed during his time at FC Lorient with his attractive style of play, but the club were relegated from Ligue 1 during his final season in charge. However, it should be noted that the club faced a very hectic summer transfer window, which ruined their campaign.

The general feeling when he took over was one of relief, with the Black Cats having been without a manager for 124 days. However, fans were disappointed to be without long-time favourite for the job, Will Still, who opted to sign for RC Lens instead.

Since taking charge at the Stadium of Light, Le Bris has taken steps to ensure he builds a connection with the club, something Beale was unable to do.

During his initial interview on the club’s website, he spoke about the club’s history and connection with the fans, something that always goes down well with supporters.

The Frenchman has also been proactive in learning more about the club, speaking to former Sunderland players Vito Mannone and Yann M’Vila, who he worked with during his time at Lorient. Le Bris also took the time to speak to club historian Rob Mason.

He was smart in addressing the challenges facing the club and mentioned the issues they need to resolve ahead of the new season. This shows the Frenchman has done his homework and has held key conversations about players with the Sunderland hierarchy.

Le Bris has been smiling during his press conferences and on the training pitch, something I have not seen for some time. One of his main challenges will be taking charge of a team that was suffering from problems of confidence and results during the second half of last season.

Learning from Beale’s mistakes

Beale was not welcomed with open arms by the Sunderland faithful.

In truth, Sunderland fans were left baffled as to why Tony Mowbray had been sacked in December last year. The club were ninth but just three points off the play-off places. The affectionately nicknamed “Mogga” was a fan favourite and a native of the north-east: he simply fit the bill.

Beale was always going to face an uphill battle as Sunderland manager. It was an ill-advised choice as he had little managerial experience, having enjoyed some success at QPR but failed at Rangers before moving to the north-east.

However, Beale, like all new coaches, had the opportunity to win over the fans. Ultimately, this is a results-oriented business, but there are things that coaches must do to connect with fans and players alike; the feeling for many is that he did the opposite.

Following a poor start to his tenure at the Stadium of Light, Beale hit back at criticism from fans, accusing them of taking offence to his cockney accent. During the same speech, he suggested that fans were taking things personally despite poor performances under his management.

The final nail in his coffin was his public on-field snub of Sunderland favourite Trai Hume. In video footage of the Wearsiders’ 2-1 defeat at Birmingham City, Beale appeared to ignore Hume’s outstretched hand to shake, leaving fans stunned.

Beale was eventually told to leave just two months into his tenure at Sunderland. The board may have been inclined to give the Londoner more time, but the bond with the fans was irreparable and it proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Le Bris is still in his early days and it will be on the pitch that he will be judged. However, the importance of making a good first impression and connecting with the club, players and fans cannot be underestimated. So far, Le Bris is doing just that.