This follows an earlier disappointment where Sunderland had agreed on a deal for Will Still to replace Michael Beale, only for Still to back out and take the RC Lens job. As a result, Sunderland has been without a manager for nearly four months, with a dwindling pool of potential candidates.
One such candidate, Rene Maric, has yet to officially become Vincent Kompany’s assistant at Bayern Munich but is still expected to do so. Additionally, Sunderland is interested in QPR boss Marti Cifuentes, though they would need to pay a six-figure compensation fee to bring the Spaniard from Loftus Road.
Sunderland have unnamed manager candidates in contention
Following Liam Rosenior’s withdrawal from consideration for the Sunderland managerial position, an emerging report from The Northern Echo has disclosed that there are still some unnamed coaches in the running. According to the report, there are “a couple of head coach candidates who have long been in contention but have been kept under wraps.”
Despite the setbacks with Rosenior and Will Still, Sunderland sources emphasized that the club is not starting over in their search for a new manager. Recent talks have taken place with other candidates, though their identities remain undisclosed. The search for Sunderland’s new boss continues with these unnamed prospects still in consideration.
The unavoidable problem Sunderland now face
Sunderland appears to be well down their managerial shortlist after missing out on both Will Still and Liam Rosenior, who seemed like a secondary option. With their preferred candidates unavailable, Sunderland might be beyond Plan B, unless they can secure someone like Rene Maric, who has been linked to the job for some time. However, Maric seems unlikely to join, as does Marti Cifuentes, even if Sunderland were to pay the compensation to release him from QPR, which would appear to be a panic move.
Despite this, Sunderland’s leadership, including Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman, isn’t completely back to square one. There are still some unnamed candidates in contention, as revealed by The Northern Echo, which offers a glimmer of hope for Sunderland fans.
Journalist Michael Graham aptly summarized the situation: no matter who Speakman and the board appoint now, their reputation is likely tarnished. If the new manager performs poorly, the blame will fall on Speakman and the board. If the manager does well, it will seem like mere luck since Sunderland missed out on their primary choices.
This is a particularly challenging time for Sunderland. The summer transfer window opens on June 14th, and the club not only lacks a manager but also does not have a clear front-runner for the position.
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