Exclusive:Gus Poyet urges Sunderland fans to 'stay calm' amid Regis Le Bris assessment
Gus Poyet has delivered his verdict on Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris.
Former Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has urged supporters to be patient with head coach Regis Le Bris even during stickier patches of form following the club’s victory over Newcastle United in the Tyne-Wear derby.
The Frenchman has proven to be a hugely successful appointment since arriving at the Stadium of Light last season, overseeing an immediate promotion back to the Premier League and guiding his side to the relative safety of mid-table across the past few months.
A particular high point of the current campaign came against Newcastle at St. James’ Park, with Sunderland coming from behind to secure a memorable three points against their bitter rivals. Prior to that result, however, the Black Cats had endured a patchy streak in both the league and cup, but Poyet has insisted that even when it had appeared that his former club were slumping somewhat this term, he was never in any kind of doubt that Le Bris is the right man for the job.
What has Gus Poyet said about Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris?
Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of Betwright, the popular Uruguayan said: “Well, I think it was a good decision from the owner [to appoint Le Bris in the first place]. I don't think too many people, probably most, they didn't know who he was. Because I follow French football, I had a little idea, not too much, a little idea of him.
“I met him personally in his first preseason [at Sunderland] in Alicante and I had a good chat with him, general chat, not sitting at a table with other people. And he sounded like a nice guy, clear ideas, knew where he was going, the kind of responsibilities. And now I think he's settled.
“What I don't like is - and I would really, really ask the Sunderland fans is - don't forget where we were, let's say we, where Sunderland were a year-and-a-half ago. Don't try now to ask for too much.
“Because when you don't achieve too much, then the responsibility is the coach. No, the coach is the same one. He brought the team back to where everybody wants. There were big, big, big opinions in the beginning of the season that the three coming up, they were going down. Sunderland proved them wrong.
“He's doing well, he's in the top ten, he's going to finish well. It's a great year to settle, set the basics, to keep going, improving. In that progress, you cannot go always in a line upwards. Sometimes it's going to be a drop, naturally. That's why we need to stay calm. Please, stay calm.”
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At the time of writing, Sunderland find themselves 11th in the Premier League table, 14 points clear of the relegation zone with seven matches left to play. The Black Cats are also just three points adrift of seventh-placed Brentford, and are consequently within touching distance of a European qualification spot that few would have deemed realistic prior to the beginning of the campaign. Their next match is against Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on April 12th.