Sunderland poised to select manager ‘soon’ as three coaches make the final shortlist.
Since Dodds’ interim appointment, everyone has been talking about who will take over this summer.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman will have had months to select a suitable replacement, but there appears to have been little progress in completing the necessary measures to nominate someone in the coming weeks.
Sunderland might have a new head coach in the coming weeks.
However, The Northern Echo has stated that the club intends to announce an appointment in the ‘immediate aftermath’ of this weekend’s match against Sheffield Wednesday.
According to the article, the club has spent the previous few weeks ‘firming up their preparations’ and is now ‘assured’ in their ability to act rapidly once the campaign is over.
There have been several names floated in recent months, and it appears that the list has been down to three coaches.
According to reports in Germany, Bayern Munich U19s manager Rene Maric has been connected with a transfer to Wearside, and it is now thought that Sunderland has made ‘contact’ with the Bundesliga club.
The 31-year-old had served as an assistant manager for RB Salzburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund, and Leeds United before being named head coach of Bayern’s U19s just two months ago.
According to the article, Sunderland are still contemplating Paul Heckingbottom, who has been out of employment since Sheffield United fired him in December.
Danny Rohl is also on the shortlist, and if Sheffield Wednesday escape loss on Wearside this week, they will be able to keep their season going.
Who is the greatest candidate for the Black Cats?
Rene Maric has been the subject of recent rumors, and nothing is known about him, but it may be a highly fascinating appointment, following Rohl’s success at Hillsborough.
Rohl also worked with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and the German national team before taking on his first senior management post in October, where he has been extremely successful.
Maric might follow in his footsteps, while Rohl appears to be an even better choice, but one that may be more difficult to push over the line – especially if Wednesday stays up.
Heckingbottom appears to be the safer alternative, but his entrance would be perplexing considering that we could have rehired him when we fired Michael Beale if he was always going to be our major goal.
It’s an appointment that the club absolutely has to do right if we’re to correct our problems, but all three of those options give me a lot more optimism than Beale did.
