With Sunderland in free fall this season, attention has quickly turned to the summer and the top of the in-tray will be to find a new man to fill the dugout.
Sunderland's managerial merry-go-round
After just falling short of a trip to Wembley last season, Sunderland looked ready to do one better this campaign and push for promotion. Unfortunately for fans of the Black Cats, a crisis in the dugout has left their side miles away from the Championship top six.
December 2023 saw the Wearside outfit part company with Tony Mowbray. The 60-year-old had guided Sunderland to sixth last season, however a run of just one win from five games brought an end to his 461-day stint at the club. Sitting three points adrift of the playoffs, assistant coach Mike Dodds took interim charge whilst a replacement was found.
Two weeks after the departure of Mowbray, Sunderland found their replacement in the form of Michael Beale. Recently sacked by Rangers, the Englishman had seen success in the second tier during his time in charge at QPR. However, fans were uninspired by the appointment.
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Fans' skepticisms was warranted as Beale plunged Sunderland down the table, picking up just fourteen points from the eleven league games he managed. The final nail in the coffin was a 2-1 defeat to Birmingham, now managed by Mowbray. In the post for just 63 days, Beales suffered his second sacking of the season and Sunderland went back to the drawing board for a new manager.
With Dodds given the keys until the end of the season, attention has now turned to who will get Sunderland back on track and put the failures of this season firmly in the rear-view.
Sunderland's next manager may move "to prove himself"
According to L'Equipe (as per Sport Witness), an agent "well established" in the United Kingdom has told the French press that Will Still's next move could be to a Championship club.
Speaking to the outlet, the agent said that “Premier League clubs are now a bit more reticent to hire young unexperienced managers, as brilliant as they may be. For now, logic dictates that he signs in a Championship club first to prove himself”.
The report from Sports Witness also mentions Sunderland, due to the fact they'll be managerless come the end of the season.
This follows a recent trend in managerial appointments with Championship sides opting for promising managers from the continent as opposed to the traditional faces seen in the second tier. The appointments of Marti Cifuentes and Danny Rohl by QPR and Sheffield Wednesday respectively has seen them turn their seasons around after poor starts.
Still has been in the dugout at French side Stade Reims since October 2022 and as it stands is just two points away from the European places. The 31-year-old has a release clause of €5million that could be exercised this summer by any number of sides on the lookout for a new manager.
With Jack Clarke likely to leave the Stadium of Light, Sunderland could be in for a significant windfall this summer. Whilst a replacement on the pitch could be the first port of call, there would be few better places to spend the money than on one of Europe's most promising managers.