Sam Allardyce has this advice for Régis Le Bris and explains key to Sunderland's promotion hopes

Former Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce has said the festive period will be crucial to the club’s promotion hopes and has told Régis Le Bris to push for January reinforcements.

Allardyce says it’s vital that the Black Cats don’t rest on their laurels and strengthen their squad depth to guard against fatigue, injuries and a dip in form across the second half of the campaign.

Allardyce, speaking on Footy Accumulators No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, said: “They’ve sustained it up until now, will they hold their nerve? Whether they get twitchy after Christmas, and then there's the injury period over Christmas and whether the squad is big enough, all these things are what you'd be planning if you're the coach.

“We are where we are now, and no coach talks about one game at a time. You're thinking about what's coming, and what's going on, and what's happening.

“I think he's hopefully of the mind to say, what does the future look like in the next month or two after Christmas, and what will I need in January? Because if you're there, you've got to hammer the board for what you need and not just sit on what you've got. Because the board will say to you ‘Well, you are where you are, it's alright’ and you've got to say, ‘No, just a minute this is happening, that might happen, we need this, or we need a couple of players’ - even if you've got no injuries, because then you can push on.

Allardyce added: “I don’t think he’s a very experienced coach in this country, is he? If you're on top, you've got to look after the Christmas period. The real importance of being successful and sustaining Sunderland’s success is his [Le Bris] determination. Even though the board might not want to give him what he wants. If they do, it could take them to the land of the richest game in the world, promoted from the Championship to the Premier League.

“If he gets that promotion, he's making hundreds of millions for Sunderland at least for three seasons, because even if they go down again there's still parachute payments, which helps in securing the financing again. If you've got the opportunity, you're top Christmas coming up, before the fade happens, protect yourself against it. I hope he does it.”