Whether it be fighting for promotion of fighting to stave off relegation Sunderland managers always have an expectation of them.
But which Sunderland managers have exceeded those expectations and which haven’t?
Here we take a look back over the previous 30 permanent Sunderland managers since Bob Stokoe’s side famously lifted the FA Cup in 1973 and rank them based on their win percentage following Sunderland’s promotion back to the Championship last season
The list does not include those who have been in interim charge.
Here we take a look back over the previous 30 permanent Sunderland managers since Bob Stokoe’s side famously lifted the FA Cup in 1973 and rank them based on their win percentage following Sunderland’s promotion back to the Championship last season
9. Alan Durban – June 1981 – March 1984 – 28.46%
Durban was in charge at Roker Park for little under three years and had the nucleus of a good squad with the likes of Gary Rowell, Kevin Arnott and a young Ally McCoist. Durban won 37 of his 130 games in charge. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Photo: Evening Standard
10. Sam Allardyce – October 2015 – July 2016 – 29.03%
Perhaps one of the most highly regarded Sunderland managers of recent times is Allardyce. The survival specialist came in after another disappointing start in the Premier League and was able to guide the club to safety at the expense of rivals Newcastle United. The success of Allardyce’s Januray transfer window signings Lamine Kone, Wahbi Khazri and Jan Kirchhoff were a particular highlight of his tenure. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) Photo: Ian MacNicol
11. Steve Bruce – June 2009 – November 2011 – 29.59%
The former Newcastle boss enjoyed his first spell managing in the North East back in 2009 when he arrived from Wigan Athletic as the Black Cats looked to consolidate in the Premier League. A successful summer transfer window including the signings of Darren Bent, Lee Cattermole and Lorik Cana helped the Wearsiders become more than competitive including a victory over Liverpool at the Stadium of Light via the infamous beachball. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images) Photo: Chris Brunskill
12. Terry Butcher – February 1993 – November 1993 – 30.23%
Despite playing for the club Butcher arrived with just 60 games under his belt as a manager and was still very much a novice in the dugout when he arrived on Wearside. Iconic on the pitch but he failed to reach any sort of heights at Roker Park winning 13 of his 43 games in charge (Photo by Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive) Photo: Getty Images