Régis Le Bris signs new contract at Sunderland as Premier League return draws nearer

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales reports as Sunderland announce that Head Coach Régis Le Bris has signed a new contract at the club. Reaction from Phil Smith of the Sunderland Echo.

Transcript

00:00Now, Sunderland have announced that Regis Libris has signed a new contract at the club

00:06that will keep him the stadium of light until 2028.

00:10Clearly, Sunderland as a club placing their trust in their head coach

00:14after what was an historic campaign for the Black Cats last season.

00:18That saw Regis Libris guide them back to the Premier League after eight years away.

00:24Of course, culminating with that dramatic play-off final win against Sheffield United at Wembley.

00:29That saw Tommy Watson score a last-minute winner to send Sunderland back up to the top flight.

00:34Now, I'm joined here with Phil Smith of the Sunderland Echo to react to the news.

00:39But first, let's hear from Libris himself, who spoke after signing his new deal about last season,

00:45just how amazing it was for both him and the whole club and everyone associated with Sunderland as a football club,

00:53as well as looking ahead to managing in the Premier League,

00:55where, of course, Sunderland will be very soon in their new season,

01:00where they'll take on West Ham in their first game of the new campaign.

01:05I think it was a long season and with a massive achievement at the end.

01:11But I think the first idea for me was the quality of the connection with the club,

01:19with the staff, with the players, with the fans.

01:21I think it was so, I won't say easy, but natural to find a connection with everyone.

01:28And at the end, the output is like a symbol about the collective work we share together.

01:36I like huge challenges, so it's like, yeah, it's not a new football,

01:50but we know we can expect that the gap will be really important

01:55because we'll face the strongest teams in the world.

02:00But it's not about fear, it's about desire, ambition, positive energy.

02:10Because in sport, I think we believe that it's thanks to these challenges

02:14that you wake up in the morning.

02:17Now, of course, that's all very positive from Regis Lloris.

02:21So, Phil, firstly, just your reaction to that news.

02:24And secondly, obviously, he looked ahead to the upcoming season in the Premier League.

02:29What will he have to do to adapt Sunderland?

02:31Of course, they've had a lot of incomings already,

02:33to make them ready and capable of competing in the top flight.

02:38Yeah, well, I think, first and foremost, it just provides a bit of stability

02:41and a bit of clarity, I think, for everybody going into the season.

02:44And in either scenario, really, either in the scenario

02:47where Sunderland hit the ground running really well,

02:49which is obviously what we hope will happen.

02:51And if that happens, inevitably, Labrise will start getting linked with other jobs.

02:55And if they start poorly and it looks like they're struggling to make the gap up,

02:58then people will start speculating about Labrise's future.

03:01So, I think this is quite a strong signal from the club

03:03that they're kind of determined to stay the course of this one

03:06and Labrise is the man for the long term.

03:09So, I think it's very much significant in that sense.

03:11I think, to be fair, look, I think the investment that Sunderland have made

03:15this summer speaks for itself in terms of them understanding

03:18how big the gap is from the Championship to the Premier League

03:21and the scale of the overhaul of the team tells you that they know that.

03:24Tactically, I think that Labrise, you know,

03:27it's not like one of those teams that come up to the Premier League

03:29that are used to having 75%, 80% of the ball

03:32and trying to break down the little blocks.

03:34Sunderland have been very tactically flexible for a year now.

03:36Under Labrise, they've been quite happy in a lot of games

03:39to sort of seed possession and play on the break.

03:41So, tactically, I don't think there's going to be a huge shift,

03:44to be honest, from what we've seen over the last sort of 12 months

03:47from Regis Labrise, but clearly it's going to be a very, very new-look team

03:51that takes the field against West Ham.

03:53And, of course, supporter-wise, I suppose they will all be very happy

03:56with Labrise committing his future to the club

03:59because, as you say there, it does provide stability.

04:00But they've all grown, you know, very attached to Regis Labrise

04:05because of what he's achieved with the club

04:07and getting them back to the top flight.

04:08Yeah, I think that's what success does, doesn't it?

04:11You know, and I think that, you know, Regis is very, very understated.

04:15He's very down-to-worth.

04:16He's not someone who's kind of demonstratively passionate,

04:19but I think that what he's managed to do over the last year

04:21is to win the respect of the fan base

04:23because they can see how seriously he takes his work.

04:26They can see the attention to detail that he puts into his work.

04:29And I think, ultimately, as well, they understand

04:31that they've got a guy who's very tactically astute

04:34and who can put out a team to upset the opposition

04:37and prepare different game plans.

04:40So, you know, the connection is maybe a slightly different one

04:43than some managers in the past.

04:44So, thank you.

04:45Let's see.

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