The majority of fans are supporting him wholeheartedly, which is fantastic news, according to RR reader Stephen Jameson. Have a statement to make?

Dear Roker Report,

It’s great news that the majority of fans are giving Régis Le Bris their full backing.

He deserves a fair chance to show why he has the bottle to take on one of the toughest jobs in football, yet the most rewarding if he can improve us with style and dare I say, ‘joie de vivre!’

A stern test awaits after Kristjaan Speakman decides who we sell, as we surely will, and whether Le Bris has any input into replacements.

I read somewhere that Jude Bellingham would be the easiest player for England to replace, and I think similarly with Jobe.

Honestly, I think they’re both overrated, but Jobe surely has the longest journey ahead to reach the consistently high standards we need now.

A £20+ million spend could find us a good replacement and a goalscorer, endorsing Le Bris as a manager we all want to succeed.

Allez Le Bris!

Stephen Jameson

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Stephen. Thank you for your letter.

I do think the appointment of Le Bris shows quite a lot of self-belief on his part, and opting to venture overseas to pick up the reins at Sunderland after a tough season is not the sign of a head coach who isn’t confident in his own ability.

It’s a fascinating appointment; a very left-field choice (for the fans, at least) and I really do hope he can have the positive impact that we’d all love to see.

He’ll get a great reception at the first home game of the season and I’m eager to see what he can do with what’ll doubtless be a very different-looking squad during 2024/2025.

Regarding Jobe’s future, I’d absolutely love to see him stay at Sunderland for another couple of seasons, because I think he’s a very talented player with a high ceiling, but on the other hand, the lure of the Premier League is very strong and if a club were to offer ‘silly money’ in order to try and sign him, of course we’d have to consider it.

Let’s see what happens.

Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

Let’s not get carried away by the manager’s appointment. The owners can’t be trusted; this could be another Michael Beale.

T Young

Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi. Thank you for getting in touch.

Like any head coaching appointment, of course the decision to opt for Régis Le Bris might not work out how we hope, but only time will tell.

What I would say is that he’s arriving at Sunderland with little fanfare and nowhere near as much hype as, say, Will Still would’ve done, so perhaps that’ll allow Le Bris to go about his business in a quiet, low-key and effective manner.

That might be just the tonic after the turbulence of recent months.

Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I was told the cutoff date for the new season cards was in June.

Last week, I received an email telling me my new card would be sent to me in the week starting 15th July.