Sunderland may be bottom of the Premier League after taking four points from their opening seven matches, but there is no sense of panic around Regis Le Bris or the club. The difficult start has come as the side attempt to balance domestic football with their first European campaign in more than 50 years.
The contrast with last season has been stark. Sunderland made an impressive start to their return to the top flight and went months without losing a home league match, but their performances have been less convincing this time.
The problems were exposed in the 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth on Sunday, which followed a Europa League trip to Portugal. Mistakes and individual errors punctuated the display, while the demanding schedule appears to be taking a physical and psychological toll.
Defender Nordi Mukiele described the team as “arrogant” after the match, although that assessment is not shared within the club. The greater concern is that Sunderland have lost the intensity and aggression which made them so difficult to beat last season.
Sunderland need to rediscover home form
They suffered only four defeats at the Stadium of Light throughout the previous campaign, turning home matches into a significant advantage. There had been encouraging signs in September, when Sunderland followed a narrow victory over Fulham with a strong performance against champions Arsenal.
However, the 2-0 loss to 10-man Brighton raised fresh concerns. Sunderland now have an opportunity to respond on home soil, with Leeds visiting in the league before Brentford arrive in the Carabao Cup.
Le Bris will be hoping to restore the physical, streetwise approach that underpinned the club’s success last season. Sunderland have appeared timid in spells this term, a sharp departure from the forceful style that carried them through their first campaign back in the Premier League.
The manager has also had to cope with injuries at a crucial position. Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor have both been unavailable at the same time, leaving the untested Timur Tutyerov to lead the attack in the past two matches.
That was not part of Sunderland’s original plan, and the strain has been compounded by a difficult transfer window. Sporting director Florent Ghisolfi struggled to complete several deals before the deadline, with owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus travelling to Lyon to help secure Malick Fofana’s move from under the noses of Crystal Palace.
Despite those frustrations, the squad is considered strong enough to provide two players for each position. The difficulty comes when key players fail to find their best form while injuries affect the alternatives.
Fofana has yet to register a goal or assist for Sunderland, while the absence of Brobbey has removed a forward who had scored three times in his first five Premier League appearances this season.
Le Bris retains Sunderland’s backing
The club’s strong start in the Europa League has provided supporters with something to enjoy, even as the league table causes concern. There was an acceptance before the season that competing in Europe while securing Premier League survival would be a demanding objective.
Le Bris therefore retains considerable credit after two highly successful seasons on Wearside. The only pressure currently evident is the pressure he places on himself, with the manager regarded as a central figure in Sunderland’s recent progress.
Supporters are not expected to panic, but they will want to see a swift improvement in performances and results, beginning against Leeds. The experienced spine provided by Granit Xhaka, Mukiele and Brobbey is viewed as capable of helping the team through the difficult period.
Le Bris frequently stresses the importance of remaining “humble”, and Sunderland must rediscover the qualities which took them to the Premier League and made them so resilient at home. The next two fixtures will offer an early chance to show that the current problems can be corrected.
