'As excited as I've been' - Lee Cattemole issues Regis Le Bris verdict amid Sunderland 'Premier League' claim
Sunderland made it six wins out of seven with three points against Middlesbrough at the weekend.
Former Sunderland star Lee Cattermole has claimed that he is hugely “excited” by the Black Cats’ project under Regis Le Bris, suggesting that his old club “need to be back in the Premier League” as soon as possible.
Le Bris has overseen a superb start to the season at the Stadium of Light, winning six out of his opening seven Championship fixtures and guiding them to an automatic promotion spot at this fledgling stage of the campaign. Sunderland’s most recent victory came last Saturday, with Le Bris masterminding a 1-0 win over another of Cattermole’s former employers, Middlesbrough. The ex-midfielder was on punditry duties for Sky Sports during that match, and speaking before the clash, he hailed the manner in which the Black Cats have kicked on in recent times.
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He said: “The word that kept coming up there was ‘process’. The good thing for Regis is that it’s a club process, and it’s been shown over the last three or four years. He’s got the backing of the club, it’s a process from the club. “It’s not just him coming in and going, ‘This is the style of play, this is what I’m bringing’. The club are very aligned with this is what they want and it’s a question of whether he can deliver it. They believe he is the man to deliver the style they want and what they are recruiting for.
“I spent a long time at Sunderland and this is as excited as I’ve been about the club in the last five years. They’re doing lots of good things. I think for a young player when they go into a club, or any player, this club now is a much easier club to come and play at. You’ve got staff who have been there for a long time, you’ve got training methods, you’ve got the style of play, it’s very aligned top to bottom. I really believe in what they are doing at the moment.
“The hardest thing for Sunderland at the moment is communicating to the fan base. You have 40-odd thousand every home game and if you don’t get in the top six, how does this process keep continuing? Because it’s gone now three or four years and they need to be back in the Premier League. So does this process lead you to the Premier League? That’s the big challenge.”