'Sunderland fans should be excited!' - Don Goodman on Regis Le Bris effect

Sunderland supporters have been conditioned to fear the false dawn, but Don Goodman believes it may just be time to dare to dream again.

Regis Le Bris - has Sunderland believing / IMAGO / NurPhoto

Don Goodman believes instilling a structure to Sunderland has been the key to the fine start they have made under Regis Le Bris – and he thinks fans have a right to be excited by it.

Sunderland sit top of the Championship after winning all of their opening four matches and there is a real buzz around Wearside as a result.

It’s a start that has certainly been surprising given how poorly the Black Cats finished last season, but Goodman believes he knows why Le Bris has got a tune out of them so quickly.

Speaking to Sunderland Nation via the home of soccer odds , Goodman said: “I spoke to Luke O’Nien before the Sheffield Wednesday game and I asked ‘what's the difference with the new head coach?’ And he said one word; ‘structure’, and that's the key word.

“Structure on the pitch is really, really important, and that structure is the reason that everybody in the four games has found it really, really difficult to score a goal or even create a chance. So, at the moment, things are looking good!”

It’s a start that has certainly got Sunderland supporters excited. The results are just one part of it though. The nature of the performances, especially the authority and the sheer swagger have really captured the imagination of fans.

Are we getting ahead of ourselves though? And, more importantly, what needs to happen before we can genuinely start to believe Sunderland are onto something special with Regis Le Bris?

“[Fans] should be really excited,” Goodman said. “I didn't know what to expect when I arrived at the Stadium of Light for the Sheffield Wednesday game. I knew that they'd beaten Cardiff reasonably comfortably but there weren’t too many clear chances in that game.

“It wasn't that Sunderland were amazing and blew Cardiff away, it was quite a tight game but Sunderland had the moments and in reality, Sunderland were better without the ball than Cardiff.

“So I arrived at the Stadium of Light thinking this is the time of the season where it's really difficult to try and evaluate a team. I saw Sunderland as a sort of a middle of the road team and if it clicked that they could be nudging a playoff spot – that may still be the case.

“If we're sat here after the Leeds game just before the October international break and things are still going well, then it may be time to start getting really excited.

“I think the level of performance and the structure is excellent and I love how difficult they're making it for opponents, you know, for them to go the first three games and not concede a goal was phenomenal, the only team in the division to do that.

“But when you look at the numbers, they've conceded the fewest chances and if that continues, they’re in business.

Sunderland will try to make it five wins from five when the Championship season resumes this weekend.

They travel south to face a Plymouth side who have struggled early on, but Goodman hops complacency doesn’t creep in.

“It will be a test but every away game can represent a test in the championship, so before Boro, Plymouth won’t just roll over and allow Sunderland to tickle their belly!

“Sunderland are gonna have to earn it but I think Sunderland can go to Home Park after the international break and win. If they're sat with five wins out of five come the Boro then that will be some start, but without question the biggest test awaiting them in the immediate future will be provided by Middlesboro.”