Next Sunderland manager: Every rumour so far rated from Will Still to Roy Keane and Alex Neil as Kyril Louis-Dreyfus weighs up major decision
Sunderland are searching for their next head coach following Michael Beale's departure in February, with Mike Dodds handed the job on an interim basis until the end of the season.
By Phil Smith
Published 13th Mar 2024, 12:01 BST
Updated 26th Mar 2024, 09:01 BST
That has given the club the time and space to conduct a full search process as they decide on what will be a pivotal appointment, attempting to bounce back from what increasingly looks like being a disappointing end to the season.
With that in mind, we've taken a list at the early frontrunners with the bookmakers and rated each of the early rumours one by one - in order to give fans an idea of what might be next. Who is likely to be in the running, who most definitely isn’t and just what exactly is Kyril Louis-Dreyfus looking for in his ideal candidate to take the club forward into next season?
We take a closer look to try and find some answers. Odds courtesy of gambling.com
We take a closer look to try and find some answers. Odds courtesy of gambling.com
5. WAYNE ROONEY - 8/1
After a very disappointing tenure at Birmingham City, this one feels like a real non-starter. Rooney did a good job in difficult circumstances at Derby County but it's hard to see him coming into the conversation here. Rumour rated: 1/10 Photo: George Wood
Neil has risen up the list after it was reported that he was open to returning to the club following his departure from Stoke City. It's hard to see it happening, mainly because all of the factors that led to his initial departure still stand. Sunderland's structure and strategy remain firmly in place and though all parties patched things up subsequently to remain on decent terms, would the club entertain a return after such a high-profile exit for a divisional rival? Neil proved his calibre first time around and his subsequent challenges at Stoke may have soften some of his views on Sunderland's operation, but it would be a truly sensational turn of events for him to return.Rumour rated: 6.5/10 Photo: Frank Reid
Lampard does have a track record of investing in young players and performed well to reach the play-off final with Derby County, and so would make more sense than some of the other high-profile names on this list. Whether he would happy working within Sunderland's structure and whether Sunderland would see him as the elite 'coach' they want, is another question entirely. You suspect not on both fronts. Rumour rated: 5/10 Photo: Warren Little
Parker has two promotions from the Championship on his CV, which makes him a credible contender even if the budget of both clubs were very much at the top end of the division. After a disappointing spell at Club Brugge, he would surely be open to a second-tier job at a club of this stature. Rumour rated: 6/10 Photo: Gualter Fatia