Illan Meslier stands out as one of the reasons Régis Le Bris is now managing Sunderland, but on Friday night, he and his Leeds teammates aim to silence a packed Stadium of Light. As a young goalkeeper in Lorient's academy, overseen by Le Bris, Meslier learned to fight under the guidance of a professional boxing coach, who he credits with instilling 'courage' during one-on-one confrontations with center-forwards.
Importantly, Meslier also perfected the art of body manipulation through countless hours on a trampoline and frequent 'mental health' sessions designed to enhance psychological control under pressure. This background prepared him well when Marcelo Bielsa introduced the then 20-year-old Meslier to Leeds' first team four years ago, where he quickly became one of the Premier League's brightest young goalkeepers.
'The mentality Lorient instilled in us and the maturity they fostered in the academy made the transition easy,' Meslier said, recalling his time under Le Bris at the French club's reserve side. 'It was incredibly tough.'
Now, under the guidance of a different manager, Daniel Farke, Leeds is back in the Championship, competing for automatic promotion with several teams, including league-leading Sunderland. Le Bris, who only transitioned to senior management two years ago with Lorient, has surprised the English football community with Sunderland's rise to the top of the second tier, maintaining a perfect home record without conceding a single goal.
Those who doubted Le Bris's doctorate in human physiology and biomechanics, along with his diploma in elite athlete preparation, have been proven wrong by Sunderland's disciplined defense, intelligent pressing, and high-quality wing play driving counterattacks. Eighteen points from eight games are not the result of mere luck.
With an average squad age of 23 and key players like 17-year-old Chris Rigg and 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham forming a formidable central midfield, Le Bris's nearly two decades of youth coaching in Brittany are clearly paying off. So far, it appears Sunderland's owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, made an astute choice in hiring one of Europe's most renowned developers of young talent to refine the raw abilities his club now recruits from around the world.
Meanwhile, Farke clearly respects a manager who not only nurtured Meslier but also other high-profile players like France's Lazio midfielder Mattéo Guendouzi at Lorient. 'Sunderland are a very dangerous side,' said the German, who will likely be wary of home wingers Patrick Roberts and Romaine Mundle. The latter, a £1m former Standard Liège forward, has seamlessly integrated into Le Bris's starting lineup following Jack Clarke's £20m move to Ipswich in August.
Although Leeds sits fifth in the Championship with 15 points, last season's play-off finalists are still adjusting to life without Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter, who were sold to Tottenham, West Ham, and Brighton respectively this summer for a combined £90m. Without these sales, the club's owners, 49er Enterprises, might have struggled to comply with profit and sustainability rules.
With new signings like £10m former Almería winger Largie Ramazani and £3.5m former Fortuna Düsseldorf midfielder Ao Tanaka still settling in at Elland Road, and only one goal conceded on the road, it seems unfair that Farke is considered 'under pressure' with every point dropped. However, with ambitious plans to modernize Elland Road and expand its capacity to 53,000 progressing, a swift return to the top tier appears crucial.
Leeds' manager could have done without the injuries sidelining his first-choice central midfielders Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev for the coming weeks, and his admission that he 'desperately needs' No 9 Patrick Bamford back to his best following summer knee surgery reflects a certain anxiety.
Le Bris, however, is not underestimating Farke's side. 'They're very strong, both in and out of possession,' he said, demonstrating a fluency in English that belies the fact he only began learning the language two years ago. 'The game will be hard to win, and we will need to manage it intelligently. Leeds are well-managed, poised for promotion... and they have a very good goalkeeper.'
As Le Bris addressed the northeast media on Thursday, offering an amused 'tres bien' whenever a reporter managed half a sentence in halting French, he smiled at the mention of Meslier. 'Illan's a very good reader of the game and very strong mentally,' he said. 'I like the person as well as the player, so I'm very happy he's done so well... But I hope he's picking the ball out of his net tomorrow!'
