I remember going to Bolton Wanderers in January 2022 thinking that Sunderland were going to end the day in the automatic promotion spots, and yet the full-time score was so damaging that head coach Lee Johnson was sacked before the weekend was up.
The speed at which things unravelled was remarkable and, as much as I hate to say it, I wonder if we are about to see a similarly decisive act from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus with regards his current head coach.
The two situations share some similarities. As was
the case four years ago, I do not believe that things are utterly irretrievable, but the problem Sunderland has always had is that once the rot sets in it struggles to change course unless firm action is taken.
The squad Régis Le Bris has at his disposal, like Johnson’s, has shown in very recent games what it is capable of, and yet a soft underbelly keeps being exposed at the worst times possible, and that makes calls for patience very hard to make.
In 2021-22 Sunderland eventually achieved their ambition of being promoted, but only via the fall back option of the Plays-Offs. Seeing things pan out the way they did though, where prospects actually got worse in the immediate aftermath of Johnson’s dismissal, might lead to Louis-Dreyfus being even less hesitant on the back of another painful away defeat. The club cannot afford to let the sides above them open up a points gap, so whatever he does next, either sacking or backing Le Bris, the timing is imperative.
Sentimentality will have little bearing though as he ponders his move; Johnson was the person to deliver a first Wembley win in 48 years and Le Bris a spot in Europe in even longer, but the biggest deciding factor will always be the current league table.
Don’t get me wrong, I personally am not demanding a change, but I can acknowledge for the first time why others might. While the situation has been creeping up in recent weeks I have remained firmly on the ‘Le Bris in’ side of the argument right up until about 14:00 on Saturday afternoon, and it is only after that I have sensed myself wavering for the first time. Somehow, and I can’t even explain it fully because I could see why he’d want to stick with what he knows, but there was something about the starting XI when it came out that felt worryingly reminiscent of previous times of struggle in the top league, when the players would then go out and serve up some utter rubbish.
Bad starts to a campaign under much less capable managers were often compounded by somewhat staid selections, and there was an element of that here; I won’t say that it has made me lose all faith with the current set up, but we’ve been down this road before and it rarely ends well. What followed in this instance at the CBS Arena was along the same uncomfortable lines as when we were circling the drain under Ellis Short; a performance that only tends to happen when something has changed and a once settled, dare I say it, connected, group, has ran its course.
Admittedly, circumstances have gone against us I fear and that has played a huge part in where the squad finds itself. I’m happy still to use World Cup involvement, level of opposition faced, games played, miles travelled, all of that really, as mitigating factors, but reserving the two worst performances of the season for trips to Bournemouth and Coventry City, teams that were sat alongside us in the relegation zone when they began, is not a good look. Neither side needed to be at their best to take the points that were on offer, and were given so many leg ups along the way that it became galling to watch. Even more frustratingly though, there is a duality to the form, and that muddies the waters at a crucial stage.
Just as it feels wrong to question Le Bris even slightly given the job he has done at the Stadium of Light, it is hard to be discussing a supposedly poor campaign given that the Lads are in the quarter-finals of one domestic cup and currently shaping up well in a historic European charge. It is typical that the one time we do progress in knock-out football is when there is already a load of fixtures to contend with, but a pile up is not the sole reason Sunderland are currently 20th in the league. No, it would seem as if something else is causing the bulk of the issues, and if Le Bris is going to have to shoulder any level of blame, then so too are the players, the ones who are shooting themselves in the foot time and time again.
Mistakes, red cards and cryptic social media messages for example, again they are all too familiar at a club used to seeing things go from good to bad in the blink of an eye. What felt during the last international break like a slightly below average start to the league has now escalated alarmingly, and contributed to a general sense of confusion and angst where strong players are making themselves look anything but. We as fans can ask ourselves if we would accept a relegation in exchange for winning some silverware, but there is no guarantee that the malaise wont cross over anyway, because this isn’t a scrapping team enjoying a bit of light relief, but a talented side not doing the business consistently and in danger of not doing it at all.
It is fair to say that injuries have not helped, the line up is not nearly as settled as it was during 2025-26 as a result, but then again few of those that have been available to play have helped themselves either. Although the effort has rarely needed to be questioned in 2026-27 other aspects of performances have, such as the type of goals being conceded, and that goes way beyond line ups or tactics, and brings us to a place where the individuals have to take a look at themselves rather than the head coach.
We’ve already had statements and rallying calls however, and if we return to the theme of knowing how these things can pan out, it is usually the head coach that ends up carrying the can regardless.
Right now, however, understanding why things have drifted is not as important as understanding how they can be corrected, and like it or not, the quickest option can sometimes involve a change to the staff. With sides such as Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Manchester United all about to join the managerial merry-go-round possibly, so much of the wherefores and whatnots outlined above will have to become secondary in the thinking in the face of stiff competition for suitable replacements.
Given the way Louis-Dreyfus has operated in the past, that might mean we don’t even get to the next international break before a change is made.
Whether it happens now though, or some time down the line, I hope we never forget the job Régis Le Bris has done for Sunderland. Already we have seen some people digging him out and that is hard to see, just as this article has been hard to write, because for many of us he is up there with the best managers in Sunderland history. There have been some special times to enjoy and who knows, more to come, yet I cannot shake this nagging doubt that a line was crossed at Coventry. The last trip down there had everything that has been good about his tenure – the team played on the edge and executed a brilliant plan perfectly – but something is now missing from the group, and we could well be at the point of no return.
I’ve flipped very quickly this weekend from thinking the club were in no way in a relegation battle to now faltering on that stance. I am cross with the players right now but will soon get over it, they do still deserve our support after what they have achieved, and the squad should be able to finish above a raft of others, but that needs to be proven, not just assumed.
On the balance of probability such a scenario would indicate that the hierarchy are going to pull the trigger; while it is true to state that the Lads are still just two points off safety the ‘vibe’ appears to be so very different.
And besides, when does rational come into play when Sunderland begin doing Sunderland things anyway?
I am a big believer in stability, but currently Le Bris’ departure would appear to be inevitable, and I’m gutted we have come to it so suddenly.
