Sunderland are once again searching for a new manager. Alex Neil decided that Stoke City was the place for him and left Wearside just 24 hours before the Championship game against Norwich City.
With Neil gone, having only joined in February and guiding the Black Cats to a playoff final win, Sunderland are now back in the market for a new manager/head coach. We look at five of the current favourites to replace Alex Neil at the Stadium of Light.
Five of the Current Favourites for the Sunderland Manager’s Job
Tony Mowbray
🤝 A deal looks close #SAFC https://t.co/oQqUtV5FVB
— Sunderland Echo SAFC (@sunechosafc) August 29, 2022
Former Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray has emerged as the favourite for the vacant Sunderland manager’s job. Mowbray has been out of work since leaving Rovers at the end of last season, guiding them to eighth in the Championship. A report by Joe Nicholson of the Sunderland Echo suggests a deal is close to being completed.
The 58-year-old who has also managed Celtic and West Bromwich Albion has links with Sunderland’s current head of player recruitment Stuart Harvey. The pair worked together at Ewood Park.
Should the deal for Mowbray to take charge fall through, the Black Cats seemingly have other options.
Liam Manning
According to Football League World and journalist Alan Nixon, MK Dons manager Liam Manning was under consideration by Sunderland. 37-year-old Manning joined MK in October of last year following spells as head coach at Belgian side Lommel SK and academy roles at Ipswich Town and West Ham United.
Manning led the Dons to a third-place finish in League One last season narrowly missing out on automatic promotion.
Anthony Barry
On Monday morning James Hunter of the Chronicle reported that Chelsea’s first team coach Anthony Barry was under consideration. Barry joined Chelsea in 2020 following three years as Paul Cook’s assistant at Wigan Athletic. The 36-year-old has also had spells coaching the Republic of Ireland and Belgium.
Despite never being a head coach or manager as yet, Barry is thought to be highly rated and highly thought of in football circles.
Sean Dyche
According to Oscar Haley of the Chronicle, former Burnley boss Sean Dyche was quickly made the favourite with the bookies. Dyche was sacked as the Clarets manager last season and has been out of work since.
Dyche led Burnley to the Premier League twice during his 10 years at Turf Moor. He also guided the team to a seventh-placed finish qualifying for the Europa League. The 51-year-old was controversially sacked by Burnley with eight games left to play last season. The decision backfired as the club suffered relegation.
Robbie Fowler
A surprise contender, Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler put his name forward for the job in response to a message on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/Robbie9Fowler/status/1563868002801655809?s=20&t=nA_f75dMbEb21CJkzIQ9UQ
Fowler took his first step into management at Thai League One side Muangthong United in 20. He lasted just 13 games, winning four. In 2019 it was announced that the former England international had signed a 2-year deal with Australian Hyundai A-League club Brisbane Roar to become their new head coach. His tenure would last one year when Fowler decided to return to England following the Covid outbreak.
His latest role was at Indian Super League side East Bengal where he was manager from October 2020 to September 2021.
