Next Sunderland manager RECAP: Alex Neil set to take charge of AFC Wimbledon clash and become next head coach
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The Black Cats completed five new signings during the January transfer window with Jermain Defoe, Trai Hume, Danny Batth, Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke and Jay Matete moving to the Stadium of Light.
There were also departures with Denver Hume, Tom Flanagan and Aiden O’Brien leaving the club.
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Sunderland AFC news RECAP (February 11)
Key Events
- Sunderland are set to appoint Alex Neil as their new head coach.
- Talks had been held with Roy Keane yet the move broke down.
- The Black Cats will face AFC Wimbledon at Plogh Lane this weekend.
- Neil took training for the first time and travelled to the capital with his new squad on Friday afternoon.
Thanks for joining us today
We’re signing off for today.
Still no confirmation but we understand Alex Neil will take charge of the side at AFC Wimbledon tomorrow.
We’ll have all the build-up, updates analysis and more from Plough Lane on the SAFC section of the Echo website.
Neil still set to take charge
Alex Neil will take charge of his first game as Sunderland’s new head coach at AFC Wimbledon tomorrow.
Though we are still waiting for official confirmation, the Scot has agreed a deal to succeed Lee Johnson and was in situ on Friday morning.
Neil took training for the first time and travelled to the capital with his new squad on Friday afternoon.
The former Preston North End boss emerged as the club’s preferred candidate after Roy Keane’s decision not to take up the offer of a return to Wearside early on Thursday.
Read more HERE
Supercomputer predictions...
With Alex Neil’s appointment imminent, the ‘supercomputer’ has predicted how the rest of the League One season will go and if Sunderland’s promotion push has been affected by their recent results:
Team news from the Wimbledon camp
Wimbledon will be without defender Dan Csoka for tomorrow’s game against Sunderland.
The 21-year-old was replaced at half-time during Tuesday night’s 1-0 home defeat by leaders Rotherham after returning to the dressing room with an elevated heart-rate.
Csoka has made 11 League One appearances for The Dons this season.
Sunderland and Lincoln fined
Sunderland and Lincoln have been fined £5,000 and £4,000 respectively for the touchline melee which occurred during the closing stages of last month’s fixture.
Lee Johnson was sent off during the 3-1 defeat and has also been fined £3,000 as well as a four-match touchline ban.
Team news for Saturday
Lynden Gooch missed Tuesday’s defeat at Cheltenham with a minor calf problem and could be back in contention this weekend.
Goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann was also absent at the Jonny Rocks Stadium due to illness, and the club were awaiting some blood test results earlier this week.
Defender Bailey Wright remains a doubt due to a calf issue.
What fans can expect from Neil
Neil’s first job in England saw him win promotion from the Championship with Norwich in 2015, before he spent nearly four years in the Championship with Preston North End.
To find out more about Neil, we caught up with Preston reporter Dave Seddon from our sister title The Lancashire Evening Post.
Here’s what he said when asked about the Scot’s style of football: “Neil in the main used a 4-2-3-1 system. In terms of style, his first season saw the best football - high, aggressive pressing, with plenty of movement up front.
“The tempo reduced over time due to key players leaving or being out injured. But generally they were decent to watch.”
Read more HERE
A must-read from Phil Smith
An important read via our chief SAFC writer Phil Smith the key questions that need answering following a chaotic head coach search.
Read his thoughts HERE