Fan Letters: "Régis Le Bris hasn't utilised his squad well enough during 2024/2025"
03/19/2025 02:00 AM
RR reader Arthur Thompson feels that Le Bris' lack of rotation has been costly for Sunderland this season. Got something to say? Email us: RokerReport@yahoo.co.uk
Dear Roker Report,
People keep saying that the last performance was the worst of the season.
Still, it wasn't necessarily so because we've been saying the same after every game for weeks, and I'm afraid it's on the shoulders of Régis Le Bris because he hasn't utilised his squad enough, even though he keeps saying it's a long hard season and that players are tired.
Still, he keeps picking the same players game after game if they're fit, and l also think he's Jack Ross in disguise. I'm sure l don't need to explain that.
Arthur Thompson
Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Arthur. Thank you for your letter.
I do think there's some merit in the argument that Régis Le Bris perhaps hasn't used the squad to best effect in recent weeks and months, and it does seem strange to me that promising players such as Milan Aleksić are finding game time hard to come by.
I know there's been talk about Le Bris favouring a small squad and so on, but promotion from this league is generally achieved with most members of a squad playing a role when called upon.
I do think that's something he should consider between now and the end of the season.
Dear Roker Report,
When we kick off, why do we pass the ball back to Anthony Patterson, who immediately hoofs it into enemy territory, giving us only a 50/50 chance of getting the ball back?
Why not kick it to our central defender (instead of Patterson), who can then start an attack?
I don't see the logic of the goalkeeper hoofing the ball upfield this way, as most of the time when he kicks the ball, it goes into touch, giving the other side the advantage.
I hope the guy who kicks off sees this, or am I wasting my time writing it?
Bill Calvert
Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Bill. Thank you for getting in touch.
Reading your letter reminded me of watching games as a kid with my dad, and whenever we kicked off and played a long ball, he would sigh, 'And there's the long ball again'. It's often been a 'very Sunderland' thing over the years!
I do agree that there would be no harm in trying something different from kick off every now and then. We've got plenty of players who are extremely comfortable on the ball and perhaps trying to keep it on the deck from the very start and looking to build attacking moves in that way would be a worthwhile tactic.
As the late, great Brian Clough once said, 'If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there'.
Dear Roker Report,
After a really miserable Saturday going to Coventry (I reckon my son and I put in more effort in travelling than the team did in playing), he compounded the day with social media news about season tickets and people who didn't attend enough games.
That badge was really appropriate on Saturday — I reckon it wasn't the sea level rising, it was the ship sinking!
We're ten points clear of Coventry and on that performance, we might as well give up before the playoffs if it stays the same, and I certainly don't think I'll need a Wembley ticket!
Anyway, to that social media news. I've lived for long periods in three places and Sunderland, Stoke and now Southampton all have one thing in common but there's only one set of red and white stripes I'll ever support.
My son and I are both season ticket holders but if we can attend five home games, we're lucky, as a cheap train ticket is usually about £100 each per game and means an eighteen-hour day.
In our case, the price of the season ticket is the price we pay to be able to attend away games; after all, no season ticket means no chance of an away ticket, such is the strength of away support.
From the further clarification issued recently, (clear as mud, of course), I reckon my son and I will be next to have our tickets cancelled for non-attendance. As I don't reckon they'll give me my money back if they do, I'm not sure we'll renew this year so that'll be the end of away games as well.
Some years ago, and although they might still do so, Norwich had an away season ticket.
It didn't get you into home games but gave you season ticket privileges on away games. That would cure the empty seat problem (or some of it anyway) and would certainly help me. An idea for the club?
Mike Wylde
Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Mike. Thank you for your letter.
It's fair to say that the latest season ticket regulations have caused a bit of a stir among sections of the fanbase, and in recent editions of 'Fan Letters', supporters have been expressing their views, as did Roker Report's Andrew Smithson — whose thoughts you can read here.
Personally, I'm not in favour of the idea of season tickets being cancelled except in extreme cases (fan disorder, etc) and I hope the club acknowledges that personal circumstances can impact on people's ability to attend matches — and particularly in the case of supporters such as yourself and your son, who clearly make a lot of effort.
Sometimes people choose not to attend, which is fair enough, but there may be plenty of occasions where they simply can't make it. I've been in that position myself from time to time and I hope this policy doesn't lead to large numbers of people choosing not to renew for 2025/2026.
Dear Roker Report,
As much as I love this club, I have to say that watching the Lads for the last four or five games has been horrific and that we're going from bad to worse everywhere on the field.
On Saturday, the goalkeeper cost us two goals, and across the backs, they were useless. Last season, I commented on 'BA' being a 'headless chicken' and it seems we have two —Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda.
Both can score spectacular goals but can't in one-on-one situations. Why can't they be coached to eliminate this flaw?
We're tired and other teams are exploiting this. The season's end can't come quick enough, but we'll keep the faith.
Micheal Ohuigin
Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Micheal. Thank you for getting in touch.
I do agree that recent displays haven't been great and that we turned in arguably our worst performance of the season against Coventry.
It was a bad day all round and I really hope that the international break is used by the players not representing their countries to recover ahead of the final swing of games.
We need to find a spark from somewhere, as many of our players have looked jaded in recent weeks, but the visit of Millwall and the return of Alex Neil should give everyone a little extra motivation, so let's hope that by the time we run out a week on Saturday, the Lads have got their mojo back.
