Sunderland icon Kevin Phillips has been discussing Black Cats head coach Regis Le Bris...

Sunderland legend Kevin Phillips has insisted that Regis Le Bris is the right man to turn around the Black Cats’ disappointing run of form this season.

The Wearsiders currently find themselves at the foot of the Premier League table having taken just five points from their opening nine matches. Sunderland’s most recent - and only - win in the top flight came against Fulham in late August, and they have lost five of their seven league outings since.

Despite their concerning slump, however, sources within the club have suggested that Black Cats chiefs are willing to put their faith in Le Bris, and trust that the Frenchman is capable of guiding his side to survival over the coming months.

And to that end, Phillips is in agreement. Speaking exclusively to The Echo, courtesy of BestBettingSites, when asked whether he believes Le Bris is the right candidate to steer Sunderland clear of relegation trouble, the much-loved pundit responded: “Yeah I do, and I'm pleased to hear that they're backing him.

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“Quite often we hear that, don't we, from the board, and then a week later things happen. But yeah, I certainly believe that. I don't think they're panicking in the background. They're clearly concerned with the results, but performances at times have been okay. I was at the game [against Coventry City] at the weekend, and we had a great chance to make it 1-1 - we didn't take it, and we lost the game. So it's fine margins.

“But yeah, I think Regis Le Bris deserves the opportunity, 100%. The fans are backing him, but obviously, if results continue, then the pressure's going to mount. But he's definitely the person to turn it around. He might have to tweak the system; he might have to tweak the way that he approaches the games, just to try and get that result. He's got to try something.”

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When asked what changes he would like to see Le Bris enact in an effort to combat Sunderland’s ongoing lean spell, Phillips continued: “Well, I think Regis has tried a few things. He might have to just tweak the system, maybe go with two up top and be a bit more attacking.

“I don't think he will, but it's more individual for me. It's the mentality of the individual players. I think [Granit] Xhaka has come out and said it after the game [vs Coventry]. They're making too many mistakes, and it's costing them. And they need to be more clinical in front of goal; they need to create more opportunities. So it's over to the players to take that responsibility. But as I say, the manager might just have to tweak the system a little bit.”

Sunderland’s next outing in the Premier League comes against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon. From there, the Black Cats embark on an unenviable run of top flight fixtures, facing Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool before travelling to St. James’ Park on December 6th to face Newcastle United in the first Tyne-Wear Derby of the campaign.

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