Following the club’s poor second half of the previous season, Regis Le Bris has been successful in turning around the club’s fortunes. The Frenchman was appointed off the tail of a relegation with former club FC Lorient, leaving many fans doubtful about his abilities to lead the Black Cats, nevertheless, he has revived this Sunderland side.
There have been a number of outstanding team performances that the Black Cats have put on, with the victory over Hull City over the weekend being just the most recent in a series of impressive displays.
A substantial contribution to these efforts has been made by their defensive line, with Chris Mepham, who was signed on loan during the summer, standing out in particular. Since the Welshman has been such a reliable defender, there has been a rapid increase in the number of calls for him to be acquired permanently.
Mepham’s potential impact
Mepham joined on the day that the transfer deadline was reached, and he did not require a great deal of time to become acclimated to his new home in the North East. He made his debut in the Wear-Tees derby against Middlesbrough and has started every game since.
It has been five games since the Sunderland loan player made his debut, and he has played every minute of those games, recording an average match rating of 7.26 (Fotmob).
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sunderland, the early form of the loan man from Sunderland must cause the Black Cats to contemplate making a permanent player acquisition: Opinion
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In the match that took place over the weekend against Hull City, Mepham displayed his defensive prowess and was a definite standout. He has forged an excellent partnership alongside long-term servant Luke O’Nien. The pair look like Le Bris’ strongest defence combo and it could prove tricky for the highly-rated Dan Ballard to return to the side after injury.
Top-level experience
At 26 years old, Mepham is hardly a veteran. However, he already has tons of experience to his name both a club and International level.
That experience is proving useful for a Sunderland squad that has been lacking established senior talent and pedigree for too long. Mepham had 89 Championship outings to his credit before to his arrival and achieved promotion to the Premier League with Bournemouth in the 2021/22 season.
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