Michael Gray delivers verdict on Alex Neil and Sunderland's manager search as Roy Keane talks break down

The Black Cats have lost their last three matches and have spent the last 11 days looking for Lee Johnson’s replacement.

Roy Keane was the strong favourite to take charge at the Stadium of Light, after the club spoke with multiple candidates, yet talks have broken down.

Former Norwich and Preston boss Neil now appears to be the frontrunner after a second round of interviews this week.

When asked about the news that Keane is out of the running, Gray told Sky Sports News: “I think it’s going to be disappointing to a lot of Sunderland supporters.

“I think the most disappointing thing is that since Lee Johnson has lost his post we’ve lost a couple of games since then, three in a row at the moment and I think everyone wanted someone in place straight away because the sooner we can start to climb up this table again the better it’s going to be for the football club.

“We need a manager in charge, we all thought it was going to be Roy Keane but it’s not, and it now looks like it’s going to be Alex Neil and he’s got 15 cup finals until the end of the season to try and get promotion.”

When asked specifically about Neil, Gray replied: “He’s done a decent job at the clubs that he’s been at, at Norwich when he first walked through the door.

“Certainly when he went to Preston the supporters got behind him and he did a decent job there as well.

“He looks enthusiastic, he’s young, he looks like he’s got that fire in his belly and wants to get back into football as quickly as he possibly can.

“If it’s not going to be Roy Keane or Neil Warnock, I think his name has been mentioned and Grant McCann also.

“There is no reason why Alex Neil can’t go into Sunderland and do a decent job.”

Despite recent results, which has seen the club slip to fourth in League One, Gray still believes Sunderland have the players to win promotion from League One this campaign.

“I think everyone was perhaps expecting someone to walk straight through the door after Lee Johnson lost his post,” Gray added.

“You look at some of the results that they’ve had this season, more so away from home, Portsmouth and Rotherham away from home where they lost four and five, and then the Bolton game a couple of weeks ago which I was at which they lost 6-0.

“Their home record of late has been very good but you just look at the last three performances and the squad that Sunderland have got. People might argue with this but I think they probably have the best squad in League One but they are certainly underperforming.”

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