Now the dust has settled on Tony Mowbray’s exit, here are the main four names currently rumoured to take over on Wearside…
WILL STILL
This would perhaps be the appointment best suited to the well-documented ‘model’. Will Still went viral last year for leading Reims to an 18-game unbeaten run. It became a well-documented fact that the French club paid a £22,000 fine every time they played a game, because he hadn’t yet completed his UEFA Pro License.
A training clip also did the rounds where Still, born in Belgium, was able to speak fluently in both French and English, and actually switched languages mid-speech. He was born in Belgium to English parents, learned French by going to a French-speaking school and also learned Dutch by playing for Flemish football teams. This would be an asset to our squad, with a mix of French and English players.
Reims are currently 5th in Ligue 1, and fans have suggested it’s incredibly optimistic to assume he’d leave that project to come to the Championship, when a Premier League job may be just around the corner for him. However, earlier this year the young coach said: “Vincent Kompany was at Anderlecht last year and has gone into the Championship and has done an unbelievable job. I think the Championship rivals many of the top leagues in the world. All the doors are open.”
So perhaps Still ‘dropping down’ to our level may not be as unrealistic as it first seems. The biggest stumbling block could be the amount of compensation we’d have to pay to Reims for his services. At 31 years old, he’d actually be younger than club captain Corry Evans which is pretty mind-boggling if you think about it.
Critics may argue his age goes against him, but in an interview with the Daily Mail he suggested his youth makes it easier to connect with the players: “I’m Will, not coach or gaffer. I just want everyone to be themselves, and I’ll be myself first. They (the players) put music on that I listen to. They’re talking about things I’ve watched on TV or done with my mates. I’m not going to dive into the conversation because that’s their life – but I understand it.”
JULIEN SABLE
Certainly the least known name on this shortlist, Julien Sable is Nice’s assistant manager. You may remember in the summer Sunderland were linked with Francesco Farioli - he ended up going to Nice and Sable is his right-hand man.
Nice have been excellent this season, currently second in the league and have only lost one game this season. Farioli has been praised for his exciting style of play and you’d assume Sable knows the system inside out. Like Will Still, Sable would connect easily with the French lads in the dressing room, although it’s unknown whether his English is any good.
While Farioli has taken much of the praise for Nice’s success this season, French observers insist it would be wrong to downplay the importance of Sable’s input, particularly on the training ground. Having stood in for Digard at press conferences and media interviews last season, Sable is understood to be keen to take on a head coach role of his own.
STEVEN SCHUMACHER
Schumacher has done a stellar job at Plymouth, winning League One last season ahead of Ipswich and this season they look like they’ll avoid relegation. He’s another gaffer who’s been praised for his attacking philosophy.
Whilst it may be unlikely that Sunderland will pay for a manager currently in employment, the ownership group may be tempted to splash out for such a highly-rated manager with a distinctive style of play.
His track record of developing talented youngsters such as Morgan Whittaker and Bali Mumba could translate well onto Sunderland’s exciting young team. 39-year-old Schumacher would perfectly fit Speakman’s profile of the ideal coach.
PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM
This is probably the most uninspiring name on the list, but with Paul Heckingbottom losing his job at Sheffield United it makes him an affordable candidate and a safe pair of hands.
Heckingbottom took Sheffield United up last season under a transfer embargo and has proven his value as a Championship manager. If he was to be hired, he’d need an instant impact to get the fans onside. Supporters have been extremely split on Mowbray’s exit and the appointment of ‘Hecky’ would be fairly disappointing. If only there was a big game coming up, perhaps in the FA Cup, which could make the new manager an instant hero…
