Regis Le Bris gets huge calls right again as Sunderland book Premier League return with play-off win
Sunderland Association Football Club. There’s really no such thing as the easy way is there? If the Coventry City semi-final was a rollercoaster of emotions, this was next level.
When the Black Cats looked down and out, Regis Le Bris showed his managerial class with key decisions that lead the club back to the Premier League.
They didn’t have it their own way. Tyrese Campbell opened the scoring for Sheffield United in a professional first-half performance, but it was Sunderland who ended the second-half the stronger of the two team, equalising through Eliezer Mayenda, with Wembley Stadium errupting
ChronicleLive takes a look at the key talking points from Sunderland’s Championship Play-Off Final win against the Blades.
Le Bris’ nails key decisions
There was so much talk in the build-up about whether or not Le Bris would stick with the 4-4-2 that got them through the semi-final tie with Coventry City, where both Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda started up front. However, Le Bris made two changes from that game, with Chris Rigg and Romaine Mundle coming into the eleven in place of Wilson Isidor and Patrick Roberts.
They were the substitutions that helped change the game in extra-time, with Le Fee moving into his more natural number 10 position and Mundle out wide. There were still some doubts about the fitness of the Black Cats winger in the build-up to the game, but he started out on the left, with Le Fee in behind Mayenda.
It was a different tactical approach from the games against the Blades in the regular Championship campaign, with Le Bris playing 4-4-2 both at Bramall Lane and the Stadium of Light.
It was Sheffield United who settled the quicker out of the two sides and almost opened the scoring inside the second minute with Anthony Patterson forced into a big save to deny Kieffer Moore. It was during that incident where Luke O’Nien injured his shoulder and Le Bris was forced into a tactical rethink with Chris Mepham replacing him.
As gameplans go, the origing plan-A was scrapped pretty quickly. When the Blades hit Sunderland on the counter for their opener, as the Wearsiders have done so well this season, they were left chasing the game.
Sunderland were much better in the second half and it was Le Bris’ changes that made the difference. Patrick Roberts drifted infield and played a brilliant ball with the outside of his foot to find Mayenda who produced his own moment of magic, firing the ball beyond Cooper.
VAR’s intervention
It looked as though it was going to be a long afternoon for Sunderland when Harrison Burrows volleyed the ball into the back of the net from the edge of the area just after the half-hour mark, until VAR intervened.
Had it not, it appeared as if it was going to be a long, long afternoon for the Black Cats who were well off the pace. An EFL statement read: “Burrows’ goal was initially awarded on-field.
“VAR checked and determined that Vinicius Souza was in an offside position and made an obvious action that clearly impacted the goalkeeper’s ability to play the ball. The referee overturned his original decision and the goal was disallowed.”
Sunderland could breathe a sigh of relief. For a while.
Emotion bubbling over from all the years of turmoil
The scenes at full-time were incredible. A club that has been through it all. From that 6-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderer’s to play-off heartache against Charlton Athletic and Luton Town.
Tears were flowing in the away end at full-time and rightly so. To quote Michelle Barraclough, a Sunderland supporter who was one of the focal points from the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die: “Why it it never us?”
The Black Cats supporter was emotional after that play-off final defeat to Charlton back in League One. She stood with best friend Ian Wake gutted after the defeat.
Ian sadly passed away in 2023 and never got to see the Black Cats return to the Premier League. That win was for him and so many others who are no longer with us. An emotional rollercoaster of a football club, but moments like today are what makes it all worthwhile.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ five-year plan
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus spoke of a five-year plan to take the club back to the Premier League after acquiring majority ownership. A message that was reiterated following the club’s promotion from League One.
“The next season is a period of consolidation as the club adapts to the second tier, but in doing so a proactive improvement program has been planned and is integral to the future success of the club,” a Sunderland statement read in 2023. “It remains the club’s ambition to return to the Premier League within five years since acquiring control. Following the recent promotion, the club are on track to achieve this.”
Fast forward three years and Sunderland have smashed that target in the most dramatic fashion. Bring on the Premier League.
