It was refreshing to leave a Sunderland AFC press conference with an air of positivity left in the room.
Regis Le Bris sat down with journalists for the first time since becoming head coach at the Stadium of Light. Sharp, witty and his English is pretty good too!
It's fair to say, there's an excitement around the club after the Frenchman's appointment, the launch of the new home kit for 2024/24, the Championship fixtures being released and players returning for pre-season.
READ MORE: Every word from Régis Le Bris' first press conference: Staff, style and ambition
Where last season finished with a whimper, Sunderland have made all the right noise in the past fortnight or so, continuing that theme at the Academy of Light this afternoon.
We Are Sunderland went behind the scenes as Le Bris took charge of just his fourth training session in charge of the Black Cats, before sitting down with us later in the day.
Here are five key takeaways from Le Bris first time in front of the press.
Make-up of his coaching staff
Perhaps the hottest talking point heading into today's press conference - what will the make-up of Le Bris coaching staff look like?
Interestingly, the French head coach revealed there was an ongoing interview process to bring in the right candidate. There was no indication as to how many potential coaches could join him in the dugout at the Stadium of Light, but there was clarification that none of his staff from Lorient would be following him to Wearside.
It remains a hot topic of conversation, with predecessor Michael Beale not bringing anyone else in with him. Former interim head coach Mike Dodds and first-team coach Michael Proctor played key roles in today's training session, as Le Bris watched on.
The French head coach acknowledged that he himself was still working out his coaching staff, their strengths and weaknesses, and the club would act accordingly.
There was also reference to potentially bringing in a set piece coach, but sorting out Le Bris' coaching staff remains a priority in the next couple of weeks.
Style of play
Le Bris held a meeting with his playing squad this morning, informing them of his style of play and approach to this season. While his senior managerial career may be in its fledgeling years, the former Lorient boss has two decades worth of coaching experience behind him.
Getting his vision across to his new players is his number one objective in the days and weeks to come.
"The first target is the style of play – it’s really the purpose of a professional team," Le Bris said. "It’s not another objective. We know we need some steps to achieve this main goal.
"So, the improvements, the mentality, the willingness to improve is also the most important thing. This is the mindset. If the mindset is there and we can feel it, and then the vision.
"The joy of this season will be unpredictable. But if we have a clear vision of how we want to build this team, it will be useful."
READ MORE: Régis Le Bris tactical analysis: What are Sunderland getting
"We are working on the game model for the start of the season and I think the ideas are clear, shared and understood by the players," he added. "They can produce many things but all of the players have a style of play, so we need to adapt to be able to use their strengths.
"But I think this team can press high up the pitch – they did well in many games last season, it just wasn’t consistent enough.
"The technical ability is high so we can have fast attacks, maybe six, seven, eight passes to reach the goal but also, we can control the game. So, it’s a question of balance. If we share this intention, I think we can have a very energetic game which I hope will be exciting for the fans."
Recruitment this summer
Another important issue to address this summer is the recruitment. Sunderland are the youngest side in the Championship and are in need of more players with nous of the second division.
Having held meetings with the recruitment staff, every day since his official appointment, the French head coach hinted that one or two experienced players will be added to the current squad, but he was more than happy with the way the club operated within the transfer market.
There was indications towards the end of last season, that there'd be some alterations in the profile of players targeted this summer. The arrival of experienced shot stopper Simon Moore, the first and hopefully not last through the door.
"I’m comfortable with the process right now," Le Bris said. "We’ll not know the results because this part of our work is very complex. The team is young but as I’ve said before, in the two previous seasons with young players they gained some experience which is good for the next season.
"We are thinking about one or two more experienced players who know the Championship, for example. Players who have high standards in their way of training, their way of playing and the ability to pilot the team during the game.
"These kinds of players could be young, they could be older, we have all of these ideas in our brain. Then we have a market which can be very difficult but I think with the quality of the organisation we will have a good team at the end."
READ MORE: Scouted series: Sunderland's new look goalkeeping department
Individual meetings with players
Le Bris told We Are Sunderland that he was yet to hold individual meetings with players, but it was something on his agenda in the coming days.
The former Lorient boss revealed he was keen to see how Adil Aouchiche had developed as a player since the two last met. The pair worked with one another at Stade du Moustoir before Aouchiche's move to Wearside last summer.
Le Bris also spoke about looking forward to working with Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham, hoping to clarify what roles they would play in his team next season. The French coach had his ideas, but wouldn't reveal them to the press until he'd spoken with the players.
"It’s a talented team," Le Bris added. "It’s very young. The last two seasons were very interesting for the experience. Sometimes they were good on the pitch, sometimes they were not good on the pitch – that experience is very important."
Le Bris' first impression
In a walk of life that is often so serious, it was nice to see Le Bris' personality come to the fore.
The Sunderland head coach was relaxed, to the point and witty with some of his answers.
Recommended reading:
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Sunderland's 'open goal' as Regis Le Bris' tenure gets started
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Lorient's relegation and why Regis Le Bris shouldn't be judged - yet
Not in a way which was disrespectful to those posing the questions, but it felt like an attempt to build a rapport with those in front of him.
It was refreshing to see and a positive first impression.
The club must now back him this summer.
Read the rules here