There were questions surrounding the future of FC Lorient manager, Régis Le Bris, following his team’s 4-0 defeat to their local rivals Stade Brestois.
Le Bris won plaudits last season for the way his side performed in his debut season as a manager. However, this year has been a fundamentally different kettle of fish, the team have struggled to emulate their performances from the year before and sit within the relegation zone.
The defeat to end the first half of the season to Brest was not taken well by all involved with the club. The supporters dumped 400kg of rotting fish outside the club’s training ground as the team coach arrived back from the game, while within the squad the reaction was equally tainted.
L’Équipe reported that there were significant tensions within the dressing room following the match as Le Bris criticised four players for their apparent lack of humility: Benjamin Mendy (29), Jean-Victor Makengo (25), Isaak Touré (20), and Romain Faivre (25).
Le Bris to remain as manager for now
There was an expectation with his tactics being questioned and his relationship with the squad deteriorating that it was no longer viable for Le Bris to continue managing at Les Merlus, especially since the winter break could provide an opportunity for the club to find an alternative option before returning to training.
Despite this L’Équipe, now confirms that Le Bris will continue as manager for Lorient into the new year, with the head coach leading the training sessions on Friday morning, as the break instead allowed calmer heads to prevail.
Le Bris’s future is far from secure, but he has at least for the moment been provided more time to turn the fortunes of the club around. In practical terms, this means that the manager, like in the summer, will have a significant say in the transfer market as Lorient prepare for a crucial second half of the season; which could in turn create an interesting dilemma if results do not pick up when the fixtures return.
