Sunderland

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Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes believes Regis Le Bris is the best Sunderland boss since he began covering the club 22 years ago.

Amongst the likes of Roy Keane, Sam Allardyce and Tony Mowbray, it was the Black Cats' current head coach who took the top spot, external in Barnesy's round of Winner Stays On: Sunderland Manager Edition.

"It was a big gamble to take someone who nobody had heard about," Barnes told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"It was a bold, brave appointment and credit to the club that they appear to have got it right.

"No Sunderland fan I'd spoken to thought they'd be in the top six or certainly top four at this stage of the season."

But do you agree?

Let us know your thoughts on who you think Sunderland's best boss has been since Mick McCarthy took the reins in 2003 and why they get your vote.

Sunderland met up with an old boss when they hosted Alex Neil's Millwall at the weekend and have now got yet another reunion on the cards - a trip to The Hawthorns to see Tony Mowbray's West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Black Cats commentator Nick Barnes has been giving his insight on both managers, from his "spiky start" with Neil to chats with "remarkable" Mowbray.

"Tony Mowbray is one of the nicest men in football you will ever meet," Barnes told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"He was honest, he was thoughtful and I know it got difficult for him towards the end of his time at Sunderland... and the dignity in which he dealt with that shows the mark of the man.

"Over the 22 years I've covered Sunderland, he is up there with one of the best to deal with."

The game on Saturday will be watched with keen eyes, though less for a glimpse of Mowbray but more for what both teams may expect should they face off again in the play-offs in May.

However, Barnes is hoping it's not a match-up we will get to see come the end of the season.

"It's a difficult scenario, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland in the play-offs, because I think there's a part of everybody who would love to see Tony get some poetic justice - but you don't want it at Sunderland's expense," he said.

"Most Sunderland fans would accept he was harshly dealt with and it wasn't handled particularly well.

"So this potential collision in the play-offs, it probably makes people like me more uncomfortable than Tony Mowbray, but it's certainly one that if one can avoid it, I'd like to avoid it."

Listen to the full episode and more on the Total Sport podcast.

Former Sunderland forward Martin Smith says he is disappointed in Tommy Watson's decision to leave the club but understands the pull of a club like Brighton given their reputation for developing young players in the Premier League.

Earlier on Tuesday, Brighton agreed a deal worth £10m to sign the 18-year-old this summer.

Talking on BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport, Smith says: "There's been noises that teams have been interested and obviously he's been wanting away if he hasn't signed a new contract which is sort of disappointing.

"But you can half understand in terms of, if you're going to go anywhere, you can understand the pull of Brighton now because of what they're doing with young lads."

The former Black Cats star added: "It'll be interesting to see how he does because you go there, unless they sell Kaoru Mitoma in the summer, he's probably going to be sitting on the bench or looking to get a loan."

You can listen to more reaction to Watson leaving Sunderland on BBC Sounds.

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Brighton will sign winger Tom Watson from Sunderland when the summer transfer window opens.

The 18-year-old will join the club for a fee of £10m on 1 June on a four-year deal that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2029.

Watson made his Championship debut in April 2023 and has featured 17 times for the Black Cats, scoring two goals.

He has represented England at under-17 and under-18 level, making his debut for the latter in October 2023.

Brighton technical director David Weir said: "Tommy is an exciting young talent who we have been tracking for a significant period of time.

"He's had an excellent breakthrough season with Sunderland, and we are looking forward to him joining us in the summer.

"However, for now his full focus is on helping them finish their season as strongly as possible."

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Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini says criticising Black Cats players for liking social media photos of Newcastle United's League Cup victory celebrations are "nonsense".

Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle's Total Sport that those directing abuse at Salis Abdul Samed and Jenson Seelt following their bitter rivals' victory over Liverpool at Wembley should "grow up".

"I don't think it's something to get heated about. It's just a click on a mouse," he said. "Really? Grow up.

"We don't know the background to this; they may be friends with these players. These players haven't been brought up in Sunderland or Newcastle and they are aware of the rivalry.

"But to be honest, truthfully - it's an absolute nonsense. Give yourselves a break.

"We're the oldies with social media but the more I see it the less I use it because within five or six comments it ends up being a slangfest.

"It's the equivalent walking past each other in the office and saying 'well done, it must have been a good day'.

"It's the social media version of that but it becomes public and becomes a big thing.

"If I bumped into Alan Shearer in a bar, you'd have say 'It's about time, I'm glad one of us has won something', - you just make small talk."

Sunderland defender Trai Hume netted the only goal in Sunderland's victory over Millwall on Saturday - and it's a goal Hume has been patiently been waiting for.

"I wouldn't say I'm fully critical of myself but I know I expect high standards of myself - and I know I could have had more - but I was lucky the chance today was easy enough to put in the net," Hume told BBC Radio Newcastle.

The game was extra special for the Northern Ireland international, whose family made a rare attendance to see Hume score the winner.

"It's the sacrifices you have to make to do what you want to do," Hume added.

"It's hard whenever it's your birthday, your family can't come over, or it's Christmas and they've obviously got to spend it at home.

"It is difficult times, it is lonely but that's part of the parcel of football.

"Mum and dad, auntie and uncle - all four of them were up there. So, I'm glad to score for them and I'm pretty sure they will be happy."

You can listen to the full interview and more on the Total Sport podcast.

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Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris wants to find a solution to his side's penalty problems with the play-offs looming into view.

They beat Millwall 1-0 thanks to Trai Hume's first half strike, but Luke O'Nien's second half spot-kick miss was the big talking point.

It came after Romaine Mundle was fouled, with the winger eager to take it, until he was stood down in place of O'Nien.

Le Bris told BBC Radio Newcastle: "It's tough. For the end of the game, the second goal would have been easier for us and we couldn't relax until the end."

The Black Cats' record stands at one scored and four missed this season, including crucial failures from Patrick Roberts at Sheffield United and two in the space of a few minutes from Wilson Isidor at Burnley.

O'Nien's miss was far less damaging, but it highlighted a key issue if Sunderland's season comes to be decided like this in a play-off semi-final or the final at Wembley, with the side fourth and only needing seven points to secure their spot in the top six.

"It's tough. For the end of the game, the second goal would have been easier for us and we couldn't relax until the end," said Le Bris.

"At the moment, our percentage of success is really low and we have to find a solution.

"This is the best situation to score and so far we only score one out of five.

"We'll talk about it next week because maybe we'll have a penalty shoot-out at the end of the season and if we work like that, the chances won't be high."

Sunderland will aim to regain some form as they host Millwall on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Black Cats suffered a 3-0 loss to Coventry City last time out - a team they could end up facing in the play offs come the end of the season - to see them fall further away from the top three and the dream of automatic promotion dwindle.

While Millwall scraped a 94th minute winning penalty out of their 1-0 game against Stoke and will look to remain undefeated by Sunderland this season, having already drawn 1-1 at the Den in November.

• Sunderland have won just one of their last eight league games against Millwall (D5 L2), a 3-0 win at the Stadium of Light in December 2022.

• After winning their last away league game against Sunderland 1-0 in April last year, Millwall will be looking to claim successive wins on their travels against the Black Cats for the first time.

• Sunderland have lost three of their last six league games (W2 D1), as many defeats as across their prior 27 Championship matches combined (W13 D11).

• Millwall have won four of their last seven away league games (D1 L2), as many victories as across their prior 22 matches on the road combined (D8 L10).

• Sunderland have lost just one of their last 12 league games against sides from London (W3 D8), though that defeat came against Millwall last April. Each of Sunderland's three defeats to sides from the capital since the beginning of the 2018-19 campaign have come at the Stadium of Light.

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Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris says he will find a solution to plug the gaps in his side's defence.

Regular left-back Dennis Cirkin has a hamstring injury, while back-up Leo Hjelde is also out injured.

Centre-back Dan Ballard remains on the sidelines with a hamstring injury, and right-back Trai Hume is playing through a hip problem.

But Le Bris has to find a way of working around this ahead of Saturday's home game with Millwall (15:00 GMT).

"We'll try and play with 10 players," he joked with BBC Radio Newcastle. "But we'll find a solution with a versatile player."

However, Le Bris expects Hjedle and French playmaker Enzo Le Fee to be fit for the trip to West Bromwich Albion on 5 April.

Le Fee has been missing since the end of February after picking up a hamstring injury.

The Black Cats resume their Championship campaign in fourth, 11 points behind the top two and with their automatic promotion hopes effectively over.

Sunderland and England Under-19s midfielder Chris Rigg, 17, is being closely monitored by Everton, Tottenham and West Ham. (Sky Sports, external)

Want more transfer news? Take a look at Thursday's gossip column here.

Tottenham Hotspur have made an early offer for Sunderland's highly-rated midfielder Chris Rigg before the summer transfer window, with a bid of £37m for the 17-year-old Englishman. (Fichajes - in Spanish, external)

Want more transfer news? Take a look at Tuesday's gossip column here.

Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin's latest injury has caused frustration among fans, with the 22-year-old playing an important role in the Black Cats pursuit of promotion.

Cirkin also had a injury-impacted 2023-24 season and was hoping for less time in the recovery room this term but his latest hamstring injury marks his second spell on the sidelines this Championship campaign.

"Some players just are a bit like that. There's not much you can do, they just pick up injuries and are maybe a bit fragile in certain places," former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"If Sunderland do get promoted, he would be one of those players that may make the step up.

"I feel a little bit of sympathy for him but at the same time, slightly annoyed."

Cirkin underwent surgery for a broken wrist in November, missing three games before being substituted during their defeat by Coventry City last time out.

BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator Nick Barnes believes that injury had a lasting effect.

"Since he's came back from the wrist injury, I don't think he's been the Dennis Cirkin of old for whatever reason," Barnes said.

"I don't think he's been at 100%."

You can listen to the full episode and more on the Total Sport podcast.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has asked for his players to have their minutes managed while on international duty - but could time with England's Under-19's be just as valuable to midfielder Chris Rigg as time with his club?

The teenager played 22 minutes in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Wales and may feature again for Friday's home game against Turkey.

Rigg has been heavily involved in Sunderland's promotion chase this season, missing just four Championship games.

"It's good that he's involved," former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"His involvement with the coaching set-up and what's going on at England at the moment will be important for him in the future.

"He'll be thinking he's got a good chance of possibly one day being a senior international, which is a great step up for a player like him."

The young midfielder has not started any of Sunderland's past four matches, with the season's schedule beginning to take its toll. However, Gabbiadini believes the 17-year-old won't have his mind on rest.

"Young players just have that bit more vitality and bit more spring in their step," he added.

"People are thinking about too many minutes and things, he probably won't be thinking about that too much."

You can listen to Gabbiadini's full thoughts and more on the Total Sport podcast.

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Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has withdrawn from the England Under-21 squad for their two upcoming friendly matches.

The full-back received his first call-up to Lee Carsley's squad for games against France on Friday and Portugal next Monday.

Cirkin was substituted in the second half of the Black Cats' Championship defeat by Coventry City last weekend and will remain at the Stadium of Light for treatment on a hamstring injury.

England have replaced Cirkin with Ronnie Edwards, who is on loan at Sunderland's Championship rivals QPR from Southampton.

Nick Barnes
BBC Radio Newcastle's Sunderland commentator

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For a 19-year-old, Eliezer Mayenda is having an exceptional season, as are Sunderland as a team and I think undoubtedly that is helping him find his feet and his confidence.

The development of Mayenda this season is on a par with Jobe Bellingham last season.

We didn't see much of Mayenda last season as he was on loan at Hibernian and was very much a fringe player when he was back at the club, but he's been involved this season and we have seen him score some terrific goals.

You have also got to factor in that for a player of 19, from Spain, he has driven himself to learn English, to learn from his experience in Scotland and not let that affect his ambitions to break into the first team this season.

He has an explosive finish and a physicality because he is strong, big and stocky and when you see him on the ball he can hold it up and hold off players.

He has had an impact both as a substitute and when he has started games so I think we are only going to see Mayenda get better and better.

The only question now is could he make the step up to the Premier League? Probably at this stage of his career that is asking a lot, but he has also proved the project at Sunderland is working.

Mayenda is stepping up to become a homegrown striker and it does look like this development pattern is a two or three-year cycle.

Players that are coming through this system are taking one or two years to succeed and boss Regis Le Bris has spoken about the first season for these young players being a bit of a struggle. But if they work hard, are committed and listen, that path is seemingly working.

The problem is they need to get the numbers through to back up what might possibly happen this summer if Sunderland do not get promoted.

If that happens, players will leave and they need those players coming through to replace them and that's the next stage in the project.

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The decision to play Alan Browne as a winger in Sunderland's 3-0 defeat by Coventry was "absolutely bizarre", according to former Black Cats striker Marco Gabbiadini.

Regis Le Bris' side enter the international break with three defeats from their past six matches but are safely in fourth place in the Championship table.

Browne, traditionally a central midfielder, was introduced for Patrick Roberts 12 minutes from time at the CBS Arena.

"It truly was an awful performance and they got exactly what they deserved but I was quite shocked at the substitutions," Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"It was a game that was attritional, about getting to the ball first - why Alan Browne didn't get on the field earlier I've no idea and when he does come on he plays as a winger which is absolutely bizarre."

Sunderland's next game is not until 29 March when they host Millwall and Gabbiadini will be looking for a big improvement from Saturday's loss.

"We've seen ourselves through games like this in the past but you have to play very well and play very good football to play around teams like that and we got nowhere near it," he added.

"Usually when a manager leaves a team it's because he's underperformed - Mike Dodds left Sunderland to take on the managership of Wycombe Wanderers.

"I still think Regis Le Bris is fantastic, I'm sure the backroom team are great and I still think we've got a brilliant squad but when somebody has been there for four years and has been a really important and instrumental part to the club..."

With Sunderland's automatic promotion hopes taking a blow of late, Black Cats fan Helen discusses with former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett if the departure of assistant head coach Mike Dodds could be the reason for a dip in form.

Dodds had been a consistent presence at the club since arriving in 2021, including three spells as interim boss, before he was named as head coach of League One outfit Wycombe Wanderers last month.

In the six weeks since his departure, the Black Cats have won four, drawn two and lost three Championship games.

You can listen to the full reaction and more on the Total Sport podcast.

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Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle after his side were beaten 3-0 at Coventry City.

"Coventry were good, very good. They were intense, with the ability to create chances though different ways," he said.

"We were prepared for that tactically, but on the pitch it wasn't possible because our intensity wasn't high enough.

"We were not good in duels, to second balls and we had many turn-overs so we didn't control anything.

"So it's a bad afternoon, but at the same time it is a good reminder for us because this league is tough and we have strong opponents to face. It showed that when we are at that level we are punished."