Sunderland closing in on new head coach but Leeds clash likely to come too soon

The appointment of a new Sunderland head coach is not imminent, but the process is advancing well.

Michael Graham | Dec 9, 2023

Sunderland closing in on new head coach but Leeds clash likely to come too soon /

Sunderland are closing in on appointing a new head coach after holding a round of interviews in the last few days, Sunderland Nation understands.

Tony Mowbray was sacked on Monday after a poor run of results, although in truth the club had already made the decision that he was not their long-term man as far back as the back end of last season.

Extensive succession planning has gone into identifying a replacement that left Sunderland with a number of preferred candidates that was later whittled down to two, both of whom are foreign based, who they have now spoken to. They will speak to both again in the coming few days.

Sunderland have spoken to at least two others as well due to a combination of courtesy to agents with whom the club routinely work and their obligations under the ‘Rooney Rule,’ which was introduced by the EFL in 2019.

According to the regulation, clubs who hire a new coach with a shortlisting process that involves interviewing more than one person, which Sunderland are, must also interview at least one black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) candidate.

"That commitment (to improve equality in football) has now been formalised with the introduction of a new regulation ensuring that the principle of providing more opportunities to BAME candidates is mandatory when clubs consider multiple applicants for a role," the EFL said when they implemented the regulation.

Crucially, though, there is a confidence within the club that Sunderland can afford to take as much time as they need to be very thorough with this appointment.

Unlike previous occasions when Sunderland have hired a new boss, there is no sense of desperation and urgency.

Historically, most of the manager changes at Sunderland in the last 30 years have been an attempt to fight off the threat of relegation.

The current owners have not had to do that yet, but when both Lee Johnson and Alex Neil were appointed by Speakman, there was an immediate need to reignite a League One promotion bid.

Kristjaan Speakman - Sunderland — Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman :: IMAGO / Ross Johnston

When Neil walked last season and was quickly replaced by Mowbray, there was a feeling that the time was wrong to get a progressive young coach and a steady, safe pair of hands were required instead to safeguard the club’s hard-earned spot in the Championship first.

However, this appointment is seen as the one that will kick the club onto a new level over the next 18 months, so there is a willingness to be take the time needed to give themselves the best chance to get it right.

That confidence has been strengthened by the strong performance of caretaker boss Mike Dodds this weekend.

Dodds oversaw the 2-1 win over an in-form West Brom side on Saturday and he was able to impact the game with substitutions and subtle tactical tweaks – something that often eluded Mowbray this season.

He will almost certainly be in the dugout again when Sunderland welcome Leeds to the Stadium of Light on Tuesday, but the club are hopeful that a new man can be in place for the trip to Bristol City next weekend.

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