A coach who Sunderland are said to be keen on has now been tipped to head to the Championship this summer.
Sunderland sacked Michael Beale last month and have placed Mike Dodds in charge until the end of the season.
Dodds, now in his third spell as Sunderland’s interim boss, oversaw a 2-1 defeat against Swansea City last weekend, with a trip to Norwich City on the cards today.
The Black Cats remain in 10th place of the table but are now eight points outside the top six, with a play-off finish starting to look more and more unlikely.
A lot of speculation then is on who the club will hire in the summer and then the following season.
Will Still backed for Championship move
Will Still is once again a name doing the rounds on social media.
He was linked with the Sunderland job after Tony Mowbray was sacked, and again when Beale was sacked.
It’s said that the Sunderland owners‘ ideal summer hire is Still, and now he’s been tipped to head to the Championship this summer.
Speaking to French outlet L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), an agent who is reportedly well-connected in England says that Premier League clubs are reluctant to hiring younger coaches.
But he adds that ‘logic dictates’ Reims boss Still takes on a Championship job as the next step in his career.
The unnamed agent said:
“Premier League clubs are now a bit more reticent to hire young unexperienced managers, as brilliant as they may be. For now, logic dictates that he signs in a Championship club first to prove himself.”
Sunderland and Will Still could be the perfect match at the perfect time
Something about Sunderland and Still’s trajectory seems to align.
Sunderland is a club with a very modern feel, with a very young squad and big ambitions, whilst Still is a very young coach at 31 years old, with likewise ambitions.
And what’s more is that the Black Cats faithful seems very keen on Still arriving at Wearside this summer, which after the turbulence of the Beale era could be vital for Kyril Louis-Dreyfus when appointing his next manager.
The Sunderland hierarchy need to get the fans back on board with the so-called ‘vision’ and model and hiring Still would do exactly that.
And as per the above comments, and previous comments from Still himself on managing in the Championship, it seems like Still and Sunderland’s paths are about to cross at the perfect time,
Hiring Still before Beale may have been a bit premature for Still. But with a full season with Reims under his belt, and then arriving at the Stadium of Light with a summer transfer window and a pre-season, it could make for a smoother transition for both Still and Sunderland.