Sunderland are set for an overhaul off the pitch as they search for a successful recipe to help gain promotion back to the Championship. The Black Cats sacked manager Phil Parkinson on Sunday and are now set to change direction in how they operate.
The beginning of change at Sunderland will see a head coach instead of a manager. They are expected to be installed sooner rather than later. A new Sporting Director was appointed on Thursday with new owners currently in advanced talks to take over from current majority shareholder Stewart Donald.
It’s All Change at Sunderland
New Manager/Head Coach Imminent
Sunderland are looking to appoint a new head coach to work alongside their new Sporting Director. Gus Poyet was favourite until any deal fell through. Danny Cowley, Daniel Stendel, Sol Campbell amongst others have applied for the vacant position. However, it appears that former Bristol City manager Lee Johnson is now in advanced talks and could be appointed within 24 hours, according to the Sunderland Echo and Keith Downie or Sky Sports.
New Sporting Director Announced
Sunderland announced, via the club’s official website, that Kristjaan Speakman was the club’s new Sporting Director. Speaking shortly after his appointment, Speakman said: “I have been tasked with delivering a best-in-class player development model from the academy through to the senior squad and given a realistic timeframe and budget with which to do so. It is an absolute honour to have been invited to do this at one of England’s biggest clubs.
“The blueprint for the future and the ambition to create a sustainable structure with a clear identity is one I will work diligently and passionately to bring to fruition for Sunderland fans. I’m grateful for the autonomy granted me by the ownership group to pursue this plan and create something we can all be proud of.
“We understand the frustration of the present circumstances. Whilst we seek patience and continued support for the longer-term objectives, we are absolutely determined to fix key issues in the short term to establish a winning team.”
New Head of Player Recruitment on Their Way
During his first interview as Sunderland’s new Sporting Director, Speakman also announced that a new Head of Recruitment would be incoming: “We’ll be in a position in the coming days to get our recruitment search underway for a Head of Player Recruitment. I think that underlines the nature and direction that this project is going to take.”
New Owners Incoming
Current majority shareholder Stewart Donald is believed to be advanced talks with another club shareholder Juan Sartori over a takeover. Donald has had the club up for sale for almost a year with various parties taking an interest. However, it appears that Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus are leading the race to take control at the Stadium of Light together.
Last month it was revealed by the Sunderland Echo and the Guardian that the duo were closing in on a deal to take over the club. Juan Sartori currently has a 20 per cent stake in the club but would become a majority shareholder along with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. Louis-Dreyfus is the 22-year-old son of former Marseille owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus. Kyril is one of three heirs to his father’s fortune. He is estimated to have a trust fund worth more than £2 billion.
All Change at Sunderland but Will it Bring New Hope?
With many changes on their way, does this mean there’s new hope for Sunderland and their fans? The Black Cats’ long-suffering supporters have seen many changes over the years with few succeeding. Could this be the set of changes that bring some kind of success? In the short-term, this would mean promotion. In the longer term with a man with the funds of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus as one of the owners, success on the field is possible if done correctly.
However, Sunderland fans know not to get too optimistic as over the years they’ve seen it all at their club.
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