Mike Dodds expects to return to a coaching role at Sunderland this summer, but says that his time in the dugout has been challenging and he will give an honest assessment to whoever is named the next head coach.
WHO DO WE NEED IN CHARGE?
"It depends on what type of head coach they go for. The next head coach, my personal opinion, has to have a player development background. They have to because of the make-up of the squad. It would make no sense to go for...I'm not going to name names, but it would make no sense to go for a certain profile of manager with the squad we've got."
ROLLERCOASTER SEASON
"In terms of my responsibility, I will support that person where the club sees fit. This year has been a complete rollercoaster for me. I started the season as first team coach, although Tony was unbelievable with me in terms of allowing me to prepare the team. Then I went in as interim, then the club asked me to assist Mick. I didn't know Mick but we knew each other because we have similar types of backgrounds, and he was more comfortable with that. Then I came back in as interim head coach. I think from my perspective, from a selfish perspective, I'd just want 12 months of doing one thing. It's always difficult to get your teeth into something when you're doing something for a month then something for two months then six months. That's not just football, that's anything. From my point of view, my hope is whatever the club wants me to do I get a full season to focus on that."
REPLACING BEALE
"I wouldn't use the word turbulence but it was completely different and I felt that in the first couple of weeks. When I took over from Tony I'd been doing a lot of the team preparation under Tony anyway - although obviously Tony was guiding me in terms of what he wanted. The first time was more or less the same with my own stamp on it. The second time, Mick had come in and has a clear methodology with how he wants to work, which is the same for any head coach. The next will be the same. To take over from Mick, I found that transition really difficult. But that will be a reflection point for me, because if I am going to be a head coach one day, the reality is I'll be going in somewhere whether either it's going really well and someone has moved on or it's not going very well and I have to pick the bits up. The two experiences, one was really smooth, one was really clunky."
NOT HEALTHY IN BUSINESS
"In terms of preparation and how my ideal working week would go, I just think if you put your self in the players' position, they've had Tony, me - there wasn't a huge amount of change there, then Mick came in and wanted to put his stamp on it, then me again, that's four periods in a season of doing different things. In any type of business that's not healthy."
OWN STAMP ON THINGS
"But at the same time I can't be Mick or Tony, I can only be Mike Dodds. I wasn't prepared to take over the game for these 13 games and just do what Mick did. There was bits I stole from Tony and bits from Mick and tried to put my own stamp on it. But coming in with 13 games to go and trying to imprint something is really difficult."
SUPPORT THE NEXT COACH
"Whoever that person is, I will support them as much or as little as they want me to. I'll give them a little bit more honesty than I'm giving here - and I mean that respectfully. I'll give them real insight in terms of Tony to me, me to Mick, Mick to me. And I'll give them insight into the group, who needs to be better at what. Then at that point you want to try and put your own stamp on it and I'll be completely supportive of that. I've been really fortunate, Alex, Tony and Mick, I've had good relationships with all three, I've been really fortunate. An organic relationship with the next person is something we all want but we won't know that until we get our teeth into pre-season."
