Sunderland come to the Swansea.com this Saturday afternoon (3pm) looking to return to their good form of the very recent past. It hasn’t been plain sailing over the month of November and December to date.

Currently in fourth place in the Championship the Black Cats have thirty seven points after their twenty games this season, scoring twenty nine with fifteen against. Their form has dipped since November 2nd after their 0-0 draw away at Queens Park Rangers. That game led to another 0-0 away at Preston North End and then a 2-2 draw at home to Coventry City. Millwall away followed and that ended 1-1. Then a home game against West Bromwich Albion ended 0-0. At the end of November Sunderland lost 1-0 to Sheffield United away meaning they had taken just five points from eighteen. This for a side who had looked absolutely unstoppable in the months before November was concerning.

They corrected matters beating Stoke City last Saturday but then again dropped points at home to Bristol City, drawing 1-1 in midweek. So, eight games and with twenty four points on offer saw a return of just nine. However, good sides like Sunderland don’t just go dry and that’s it. Yes, they haven’t been scoring goals, but the positives are they are not losing game after game, if this is their blip in the Championship then they can take heart. They are still competitive and one of the most dangerous sides in this league.

Wilson Isidor is their top scorer this season with five goals, but the Black Cats do weigh in with goals around the pitch. Twenty one year old Romaine Mundle who came close to signing for the Swans last January has four goals and chips in with assists as well. On that stat Patrick Roberts is the main assist player for Sunderland. Mundle (below) took a bit of time to find his feet but the ex Spurs academy player is now putting in some exciting performances for his team. He is a key player in attack.

Régis Le Bris Is the club manager, and he hasn’t got that much of a roll of honour in the game. He has utilised an academic route to compliment his coaching licences. He joined the Black Cats in June and took the role by the throat thrusting his side to the top of the Championship. He won manager of the month for August and seemed to be able to do nothing wrong. He still has a 47% win rate over twenty games in charge.

Régis has still got the Sunderland fans support in the main, it shouldn’t be any other way after picking up his two manager of the month awards, the aforementioned August accolade and then in October as well. There have been some murmurings, but every side goes through a dip in the season. The Swans going six games nearly without a goal. Sometimes fans need to draw a breath, hang in there and make their judgements known with more qualified evidence. It’s hard with the way we are as football followers these days, and the younger elements want immediate action and bounce from week to week - from a high to a low.

So, stick at it. Régis had a few years at Lorient in France and his managerial CV was pretty small. Just Lorient basically. On joining the Black Cats he said, “All coaches talk about their enthusiasm and vision when they start a new role. I’m certainly here to pass on my energy and my convictions, but also to listen and learn. The history of this Club is very strong, and this is a unique opportunity to be part of that legacy. I recognise the potential of our team, a group that has seen both successes and more difficult times. Our journey together has only just begun, and I am ambitious about what we can achieve. I want us to bring joy to our fans, not only through results, but also through our style of play, and I’m convinced that with commitment and hard work, we can write an exciting new chapter.”

He is youngish at forty nine and having obtained his pro coaching licence in 2022, two years later he is in the cauldron of the stadium of light. This season the average crowd is just under 41,000 a frightening total. That pressure at such a big club will take its toll at times, Régis has no experience of football with this passion and commitment, and a demanding fan base. As you would expect the away end will be sold out on Saturday, 1,850 tickets quickly snapped up. After the midweek results were taken on board the league table going into this fixture is tight.

A win for either side will seriously boost their confidence, the Swans on a better trajectory at the moment, but have struggled to score all season. Sunderland currently suffering the same fate, but more than capable of turning that around. Full manager interviews and Swansea City latest as we get it today.

Photographs licensed from Reuters Imago / Action images

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