How Sunderland plan to save Regis Le Bris – with January signings ahead

Sunderland have backed Le Bris to stay despite poor form, planning January signings to support the manager and believing the situation is retrievable.

Sunderland have publicly backed manager Regis Le Bris despite a run of four defeats in five Premier League games that has left them bottom of the table. Owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Florent Ghisolfi are aligned on keeping Le Bris, viewing him as central to the club's plans and believing the dressing room remains behind him.

The club acknowledge results have been unacceptable but feel the situation is not broken. They point to performance metrics showing Sunderland are 11th in expected points, suggesting they are underperforming their underlying quality. Summer signings like Malick Fofana are beginning to show promise, while key players Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs have dipped in form compared to last season.

Recent recruitment meetings have taken place and the club are prepared to back Le Bris with January signings if needed. Sunderland face back-to-back home games against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League and Chelsea before the international break, with a win in Europe seen as important for maintaining momentum.