Should Thomas Frank’s redemption after Tottenham flop involve Sunderland? Black Cats legend Michael Gray reacts to ‘crazy’ talk of change

Regis Le Bris secured cult hero status when guiding Sunderland back to the big time during his first season at the helm. After eight years outside of the top-flight, with a humbling fall from grace bottoming out in League One, play-off final glory was savoured at Wembley in May 2025.

Many were quick to predict misfortune for the Black Cats after seeing them return from the EFL wilderness, but shrewd recruitment across a productive transfer window has allowed positive steps to be taken towards a potential top-half finish and the European qualification places.

Sunderland have fared considerably better than some supposedly more established clubs, with Spurs still battling to beat the drop. Danish tactician Frank oversaw the start of their demise in 2025-26, having crossed London from Brentford, and has been out of work since mid-February.

It has been suggested that he could be invited to the North East, if Le Bris is considered to have maximised his coaching potential, but should Sunderland be offering Frank a shot at redemption?

Quizzed on the curious gossip and whether a man with plenty of Premier League experience could replace one that has only spent one season working at that level, former Black Cats defender Gray - speaking exclusively to GOAL via betFirstBelgium, the home of World Cup odds - said: “I was really shocked when I saw that, when those rumours started a couple of weeks ago about Regis maybe losing his job in the summer, when in my head I was probably thinking, are they going to offer him a new contract and give him the chance to take Sunderland to that next level?

“There's certain games this season, and maybe this is something that the owners at Sunderland have had a look at, where they've looked out of place, they've looked for that leader when Granit Xhaka's not been in the starting XI, and they fell short, which was a bit of a surprise.

“I don't know, football's a crazy world, isn't it? I mean, if they make the change, I think everybody in Sunderland will be a little bit disappointed. But if it is somebody like Thomas Frank that they're talking about replacing him, he's got Premier League experience, so he would certainly fit in and settle into that club very well.

“They seem to know best - sometimes change is not the right thing, but if you want to move to that next level, then change is imperative.”

A three-match winless run, which has delivered only one point, has dropped Sunderland towards the foot of the top seven-chasing pack. Given the rapid progress that has been made, could missing out on Europe be considered a good thing for now - with second seasons in the Premier League notoriously difficult to navigate without the demands of continental football being factored into the equation?

Answering that question, Gray added: “If it's there for you to take, I think you take it, but I do agree, I think it's one step at a time, and for me it's still baby steps.

“There was huge recruitment in the summer, 14 fresh faces came through the door, and they've just exceeded expectations with the manager and the players and I don't think anybody expected to see what they've seen from Sunderland this season.

“It's a very similar story to Leeds, I think you've got to go on a path of just establishing yourself as a Premier League side over the next couple of seasons, and then your expectations rise a little bit and you want to try and finish in those top 10 positions if you possibly can, and maybe even have that chance every single season of jumping into one of those European places.

“But I think to do that, you need a bigger squad, the recruitment's got to be perfect every single time that you bring in a fresh face. Players leaving the club, I think we expect players to be leaving the club. So it's kind of a journey that they're on at the moment, but that journey started off in a wonderful way over the last couple of seasons under Regis Le Bris.”

The latest part of that journey will come to a close on May 24. Sunderland still have some eye-catching matches to take in against Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea - with the Red Devils and Blues paying visits to the Stadium of Light.

Those are the kind of occasions that fans were crying out for when wallowing in League One. Le Bris has made those dreams come true, but whether the 50-year-old Frenchman is given the chance to take an ambitious outfit to the next level remains to be seen.