Exclusive:Kevin Phillips throws support behind 'brilliant' Regis Le Bris amid recent Sunderland form dip
Kevin Phillips has been speaking about Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris.
Kevin Phillips has argued that Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has “absolutely” accrued enough goodwill to earn the chance to turn his side’s current run of underwhelming form around.
Seven games into the new Premier League campaign, and the Black Cats find themselves at the bottom of the top flight table, having lost five times already and amassing just four points from an available 21. Their downturn in fortunes represents a marked departure from their impressive output last season, during which Le Bris was able to guide his newly promoted squad to an improbable seventh-placed finish, and Europe League qualification.
And it is based on those prior achievements that Phillips believes the Frenchman has banked enough positivity with senior figures at the Stadium of Light to weather his side’s slump, should it continue, for a while to come.
Join the Echo’s WhatsApp SAFC Channel for the latest news, team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join.
Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, when asked whether Le Bris has enough goodwill behind him to quell any possible speculation over his future on Wearside, the pundit responded: “Yeah, he absolutely does. He's done an incredible job since he's been at the football club.
“We all know the second-season syndrome is going to be very, very tough, with Europe as well. He deserves it [a chance to fix Sunderland’s form]; he's been brilliant. But I understand the fans' frustration; I understand the media, us talking about it now. “The longer it goes on, the more pressure he'll be under, but at the minute, he certainly deserves to be in that hot seat, for sure.”
The Echo’s Europa League coverage is sponsored by Amari Plastics. Covering all of North East England and Cumbria, Amari Plastics launched in 1975 and has built a reputation as the region's leading plastic distributor. During this time, we’ve established strong working relationships with businesses in three main market sectors: sign, display & large format printing, building & construction and industrial & engineering.
Your next Sunderland read: 'I won't blame him' – Régis Le Bris defends Sunderland player after Bournemouth defeat