Head coach Regis Le Bris admitted it was “impossible to predict” Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League when he took over last summer after they beat Sheffield United 2-1 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
A stoppage-time winner from 19-year-old substitute Tommy Watson capped a remarkable campaign – in which the French coach has marshalled a side that finished 16th in last season’s second tier – as they earned a top-flight return after eight years away.
“It was impossible to predict,” said Le Bris. “They played fantastic football sometimes (last season). Against Southampton they won 5-0, so it was clear that it was possible to play very good football and to be efficient and very dominant.
“But at the same time, they were so inconstant, so my job was to give the methodology to bring this consistency.”
It had looked unlikely for much of a play-off final during which the Blades had had the better of Le Bris’ side, taking the lead midway through the first half through Tyrese Campbell’s wonderful clipped finish.
A contentious VAR call denied Chris Wilder’s team the goal that would have put them two ahead and cruising back to the Premier League, from which they were relegated in last place a year ago.
Harrison Burrows’ strike was ruled out with his team-mate Vinicius Sousa judged to have interfered with the view of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
It gave Sunderland a lifeline that they duly clung on to haul themselves out of the Championship, first Eliezer Mayenda rifled the ball unto the roof of the goal to level with 14 minutes to play, before Watson wrote himself into Wearside folklore with his final action for the club before departing for Brighton.
Le Bris added: “We need talented players, we need strong connections between them. I think they deserve this.
Get 3 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 Countries
Superior Speeds
Works on all your devices
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Get 3 months free with ExpressVPN
Servers in 105 Countries
Superior Speeds
Works on all your devices
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
“They worked so well together. This game is a good example of the season.”
Le Bris added that he had no doubt in including Durham-born Watson in his squad and throwing him on with 17 minutes to play at Wembley, despite him having agreed a move to the Amex last month.
“It was clear in our mind and in his mind that he is still a Sunderland player and the squad accepted this decision as well, knowing that he’s a good player and he can help,” he said.
Blades boss Chris Wilder, whose side led the Championship at the end of March before suffering a late collapse, reflected on a difficult summer ahead for his players.
“It’s going to take quite a while to get over this one,” he said. “We’re going to have to suffer and go through the pain.
“They’re big boys and they’ve got to get over it if they’re going to have decent careers.”
Of the controversially-disallowed goal in the first half – where Burrows was judged to have unsighted the goalkeeper – Wilder said: “I don’t think the goalkeeper saves it. I don’t think he gets anywhere near it.”
