Sunderland’s managerial opening seems to be attracting a lot of interest, with a horde of names linked so far.
As well as the usual suspects, some new and exciting names have been linked with the Sunderland job, and some names that many haven’t heard of before.
Julien Sable’s name is doing the rounds; the former Saint-Etienne and Nice no.2 could land his first managerial job at Sunderland, whilst Kieran McKenna is another name in headlines right now.
But the 31-year-old Will Still is said to be among the front-runners for the vacancy; the popular Belgian-English coach is currently in charge of Ligue 1 side Reims.
Will Still in Sunderland running
Numerous reports have stated that Still is in the running for the Sunderland job.
It comes amid his impressive spell in charge of French top flight side Reims where he’s been since October last year, winning 21 of his 46 games in charge.
His side currently sit in 5th place of the Ligue 1 table and in a recent interview with Sunderland Echo, French football expert Jonathan Johnson gave an insight into Still and his reputation in France.
Johnson says that Still is a well-regarded tactician in the French game and a likeable character.
But Johnson suggests that Sunderland might not be the best fit for Still right now.
Sunderland may not be ‘the right fit’ for Still
Still has only been with Reims for little over a year.
Before that he had brief spells managing in Belgium, and whilst his Reims tenure so far has been a success, he remains very new in the game.
And having never managed in England before, a move to Sunderland; who want Premier League promotion in the coming seasons, attractive football played, talent nurtured and so on, it could be a big step too soon for the youthful Still.
But Johnson thinks that, should Still stay with Reims for a while longer, he could gain some more vital experience and then make the step up all the way to the Premier League.
He said:
“Yes, he is ready for a move to England at some point. However, I am not sure that Sunderland is necessarily the right fit. Should he remain in France a bit longer and continue on this current trajectory, perhaps a Premier League club will come knocking before next summer.”
Johnson added:
“Should Sunderland pull it off, I would consider it a major coup and possibly a bit of a gamble from Still who I think will be in the Premier League sooner rather than later and possibly with his beloved Hammers.”
For Still, his age will certainly be a warning sign for many.
It’s an incredible young age for a coach and especially for one who’s being linked to a club the size and stature of Sunderland.
For both Sunderland and still, it would be a gamble as well; Still has a good thing going with Reims, coaching a top flight team and potentially a European outfit next season, so he may fancy seeing out a few more years there.
It would certainly go a long way in helping his career and there’ll be more openings in England later down the line, like Johnson says.
And like Johnson also suggests, Still could yet fast-track himself to the Premier League if he enjoys a bit more success with Reims, so it’s certainly a huge decision for him to weigh up.
And for Sunderland, this next appointment feels like a really important one in the club’s journey under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
The Black Cats return to the Stadium of Light this weekend where they host West Brom.