Sunderland: Michael Beale detail likely to make Regis Le Bris even more popular - View | OneFootball

A milestone Regis Le Bris surpassed at the weekend will certainly help his popularity on Wearside.

Key Takeaways

Sunderland's new manager, Regis Le Bris, is a popular man on Wearside. The new boss has picked up 15 points out of a possible 18, meaning he's already surpassed the total of his predecessor, Michael Beale.

The Mackems slumped to a miserable 16th place finish last season, which was a massive disappointment after reaching the playoffs the year prior.

However, it seems the Black Cats could be back towards the sharp end of the League table this season. Thanks to an electric start under their new manager, they sit second in the Championship.

Le Bris silences his doubters

There were mixed reactions to the appointment of the 48-year-old, as he had just been relegated to Ligue 2 with Lorient in 2023-24. Over two years managing the French club, he amassed a win percentage of 30.26%.

After a disastrous spell under Beale, which resulted in him being given his marching orders after just 12 games at the helm, the former Premier League side needed to get their next appointment right.

Talks were reportedly in advanced stages with Will Still about taking the reins, but he opted to join RC Lens instead. This led to the appointment of the former Lorient boss, whose appointment garnered mixed reactions.

Many Sunderland fans waited to reserve their judgment on their new manager, wanting to give him a chance before jumping to any conclusions. This would pay off, as the Mackems have been electric so far this season, only falling to defeat on one occasion and winning their other five games.

This has seen Sunderland go from an outfit that looks vulnerable, to a side which has finally clicked, looking likely to be at the sharp end of the Championship once again this season.

It's fair to say the 48-year-old's popularity has skyrocketed among the fanbase as well. His interviews and, most importantly, his brand of football, seems to be adored at the Stadium of Light.

Beale's poor tenure left fans worried about their next appointment

Unfortunately for Beale, his career which looked so promising has begun to take a nosedive since his departure from Queen's Park Rangers.

Turning down Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers, citing loyalty towards QPR, it wouldn't be long before all loyalty was thrown out of the window. Just a month later, he accepted the managerial position at Ibrox, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of QPR fans.

Less than a year later, Beale was sacked by Rangers, thanks to three defeats in his opening seven league matches. It wouldn't be until December that he would find work again.

Tony Mowbray, who had guided Sunderland to the Championship playoffs in their first season back in the second tier, was harshly dismissed by the Black Cats, despite sitting just below the top six at the time.

Beale was appointed, but three defeats in his opening four games saw Sunderland fans calling for his head already. They got their wish eight games later, as after just two months at the helm, he was sacked. This was the shortest managerial stint in the club's history.

Of course, Sunderland slumped to 16th place, miles away from where they'd have hoped to have been at the start of the season. With worry creeping into the minds of the fans, the board had to get the next appointment right.

It seems they have, as Le Bris' new-look side has made a storming start to the season, and the Frenchman has already won over his new fans.

Le Bris has already bettered Beale

One major factor in the popularity of the new manager will be the fact that he's already surpassed Beale's points tally in six games.

From 12 games, the shortest-serving Sunderland boss collected 14 points from an available 36. As mentioned already, victory last weekend saw Le Bris add his fifth set of three points to his tally, which leaves him sitting at a total of 15.

The fans needed to see an improvement this season, as memories from their years struggling in League One were starting to creep into their minds again. The fact that Le Bris has already surpassed his predecessor's points tally is an enormous boost to his popularity.

Whilst his appointment was a venture into the unknown, the confidence of both the fans and the manager himself will mean the Stadium of Light doesn't become a pressure-cooker again, like it did for Beale.

The beating of the points tally is already a breath of fresh air for the club, as potential promotion back to the Premier League was riding on Beale's successor. Fortunately, it seems the Frenchman is the right man to take the sleeping-giant forward.