After the pair spent a season with each other in France, Vito Mannone is confident that Régis Le Bris is the right fit as Sunderland’s new Head Coach.
Mannone, who played 80 times for the Lads during four years on Wearside, worked under Le Bris during the 2022-23 season. The Italian was part of a side that finished 10th in Ligue 1 during a successful campaign.
Despite heading into the twilight years of his career, Mannone found himself enhancing his game under the Frenchman as he said: “He is a coach that likes to play football.
“When I was with him, I managed to progress myself with certain parts of the game. He is a different kind of coach. He is one of the best at making you progress technically.
“He is thoughtful and he talks well. He is very deep into football. I wouldn’t like to compare it to anyone, but he is very detailed.
“He is a coach that likes to build out from the back, playing football and searching for solutions to beat the opponent. We had tactics for every opponent.
“He made me do stuff that I hadn’t done before so that is a way to progress a player. That goes into every training session. We had to be connected with each other and find new ways to attack. We will see how this works in England and in the Championship.”
Le Bris hit the ground running this week and took training for the first time on Monday morning as pre-season training ramped up ahead of the 2024-25 Sky Bet Championship.
And with the Frenchman’s first taste of action just over a week away when the Lads head to South Shields and then Gateshead on Saturday 13 July, the Italian admitted that forging a relationship with the supporters was a core foundation of everything he built his work around at Les Merlus.
Mannone continued: “At Lorient, we had a lot of meetings about having a relationship with the fans. It was one of the most important things at Lorient when he was there.
“In France, you have to go over to the ultras and speak to them. You have to go over and thank the fans and he wanted that relationship. It was very important to him, so I hope that is going to work really well with him at Sunderland.
“When a new coach comes, they need a bit of support. I’m sure the fans will give him the best support. They will welcome him.
“He needs to work with the players and get them to gel together. Hopefully the players will start to grow game-by-game.”