The Black Cats may have finally found their next manager…
Without a permanent manager since sacking Michael Beale in February, now reportedly have a “serious interest” in one particular candidate who could finally end their search.
It’s fair to say that Sunderland’s season was disastrous in the end. Competing for a play-off place under Tony Mowbray, Sunderland took the risk of replacing the veteran with Michael Beale
fresh from his Rangers departure. That risk far from paid off, however, as the Beale experiment lasted just 12 games before Mike Dodds was handed the role on an interim basis. The damage was already done after those 12 games though, with the Black Cats going from a potential play-off place to a bottom-half finish in the Now left waiting for a permanent manager to finally take the reigns, the likes of have all been mentioned in a decision that those at the Stadium of Light must get right. Get it wrong and Sunderland could find themselves struggling to compete for a place in the top six, routed to the stagnation of the second tier’s mid-table. Hoping to avoid that, however, the Black Cats have seemingly turned to the Netherlands. According to reliable journalist Alan Nixon of The Sun, who lost his job at AZ Alkmaar after over four years back in January. Out of a job since, the London-born manager could step in to turn things around in Wearside this summer, using his as a large part of that.
Given that Alkmaar was his first managerial job, jumping to Sunderland could be quite the leap for the 51-year-old, but when considering that he never finished below fifth in the Eredivisie, he could be the man to take the Black Cats back into play-off contention in the Championship.
With star man already linked with a move away this summer alongside Jansen may have quite the task ahead of him if he takes the Sunderland job this summer. Replacing those two, if they leave, could be the Black Cats’ first priority, but it remains to be seen just how much they’ll be willing to reinvest in the squad, whether that’s for Jansen or another manager in charge.
Given those links, welcoming a manager sooner rather than later feels more and more crucial at the Stadium of Light. Without a fresh name, Sunderland run the risk of working without a full plan as pre-season edges closer with every week.
Jansen can ease those fears, however, in his first job in English football and just the second of his career. Stuck in mid-table, a new name with fresh ideas may not exactly prove to be a bad thing at the Stadium of Light, given how the more experienced have struggled in the past.
