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Sunderland were predicted to be relegation candidates before the campaign started after Regis Le Bris’ appointment as Black Cats boss.
Sunderland’s campaign has been arguably the most surprising across the Championship this season.
Last season, with three different managers at the helm, the Black Cats finished 16th, nervously looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone by May.
In the 2024/25 campaign, however, their fortunes couldn’t have been any different, with summer appointment Regis Le Bris guiding Sunderland to a play-offs place in the Championship table comfortably in his first season in English football.
Hindsight may be 20/20, but the early predictions for Sunderland’s campaign, highlight just how impressive the Frenchman’s maiden Black Cats campaign has been with his side fighting for Premier League promotion.
Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris makes mockery of early 24/25 prediction
Le Bris arrived at Sunderland having recently suffered relegation from the French top flight with FC Lorient, where had been coaching in the academy ranks for two decades.
The Frenchman arrived at Wearside as an unknown entity in English football, leaving many Sunderland supporters apprehensive about the Championship season ahead. What has ensued would’ve been only a fever dream in the most-optimistic supporters’ minds.
Le Bris’ Black Cats scorched to the second tier summit, leading the table for several weeks at the beginning of the campaign, but their form has stuttered of late, thus confirming their play-offs fate.
Before the campaign began, OPTA’s supercomputer predicted Sunderland to finish in 21st, just one shy of the relegation zone. OPTA stated in August: “Sunderland’s projected relegation chance of 24.1% will surprise many, but the supercomputer model can’t factor in a change of manager.
“Régis Le Bris has arrived and will hope to add some stability, which wasn’t there last season. Sunderland’s projection will have been impacted by their awful end-of-season form in 2023-24, when they won just nine points from their final 15 games,”.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 4 |  SunderlandSunderland | 45 | 21 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 43 | 15 | 76 |
OPTA could not foresee the impact Le Bris has made at Sunderland, evidenced by his Manager of the Season nomination, which has taken the Stadium of Light outfit from relegation candidates to Premier League promotion contenders in less than 12 months.
Le Bris’ Sunderland are on the cusp of something special, but now must go one better.
Regis Le Bris’ impact at Sunderland has been staggering in 24/25 season
Jobe Bellingham recently won Championship Young Player of the Season, and singled out the Frenchman as having a massive positive impact on his performances this season.
Bellingham told SAFC.com: I’ve learnt a lot from the gaffer (Regis Le Bris), he has brought great structure to our team, and I feel like I’ve progressed a lot.”
Not only has Bellingham progressed, as well as Apprentice of the Season winner Chris Rigg, the club as a whole has under Le Bris’ guidance.
| Sunderland in 23/24 | Sunderland in 24/25 |
| Games played – 46 | Games played (so far) – 45 |
| Wins – 16 | Wins – 21 |
| Draws – 8 | Draws – 13 |
| Losses – 22 | Losses – 11 |
| Position – 16th | Position – 4th |
Going from 16th to comfortable fourth in one campaign, with a play-off semi final spot booked weeks in advance, having led the way for weeks, is one of the greatest achievements in recent Championship history.
A turn of events that one of football’s greatest supercomputer predictors, or the Sunderland fanbase, couldn’t have imagined.
If Le Bris can achieve Premier League promotion this season with the Black Cats, in spite of the club’s concerning play-offs record, it would etch his name into second tier folklore forever.