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Sunderland’s journey to the Championship play-off final has been remarkable, with Regis Le Bris deserving huge credit.
After finishing 16th in the Championship in 2023/24, most Sunderland supporters felt their squad of talented players should be challenging for the top six, at the very least.
Luckily, the Black Cats got the appointment of Regis Le Bris spot on, as the Frenchman has got the very best out of his side’s qualities, resulting in a fourth-place finish in 2024/25.
Now, after Sunderland beat Coventry City in the Championship play-off final semi-final, the North East giants are one win away from securing Premier League football for the first time since 2017.
Sheffield United are their opponents at Wembley, and Chris Wilder’s men arrive as favourites, but Le Bris feels his team have one quality that can get them over the line.
Regis Le Bris impressed by the Sunderland players’ mindset
It was Dan Ballard’s 122nd-minute winner that secured Sunderland a victory over Coventry at the Stadium of Light, leaving Frank Lampard unable to contain his emotions.
Le Bris’ men showed tremendous fight and spirit to keep their energy levels up in extra time, with their effort and endeavour rewarded by Ballard’s bullet header.
EFL expert Ali Maxwell thinks Sunderland will beat Sheffield United and return to the Premier League, and if they do, their mentality will be crucial.
Speaking ahead of the showdown at Wembley, Le Bris says that mindset is the players ‘strongest quality’, despite how much talent they possess.
“We can talk about talent, tactics but probably the strongest quality of this group is mindset. The way they’re connected and how they manage different emotions. When they’re a starter or they aren’t, they’re still connected,” he said.
“It’s not always a question of age, it’s a question of the path. You can be 17 and be ready for this fixture, or you can be 30 and have problems managing the emotions of the game. They seem mature and after that, we’ll find out during the game if it’s the case or not. We’ll have a strong opponent.”
Le Bris’ thoughts on managing at Wembley
Sunderland and Sheffield United are preparing for a special occasion on the hallowed Wembley turf, with the Championship play-off final worth a whopping £240 million to the winner.
The Blades will expect to have most of the ball, as Kevin Phillips predicts Sunderland to play on the counter, just as they did over two legs against Coventry.
Le Bris will already have a game plan figured out, knowing the importance of shutting down the tenacious Vinicius Souza in midfield and the threat of Gustavo Hamer.
But despite it promising to be a nervous occasion, the Sunderland boss is relishing the opportunity of managing on the biggest stage in English football.
“It’ll be another great experience,” Le Bris said. “I’m always connected with the game so it’ll be difficult to experience the atmosphere. For us, it’s about how we can manage the game and situations. At the same time we want the best version of Sunderland.”