During the summer months when Sunderland were looking for a new manager, there must have been 20+ names mentioned. But one has just missed out on the West Brom job.
West Brom are with Sunderland in the Championship’s top six right now. But the Baggies are currently managerless after losing Carlos Corberan to Valencia. Meanwhile Sunderland continue to flourish under Regis Le Bris.
| 1 | Leeds | 26 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 48 | 19 | 29 | 53 |
| 2 | Burnley | 26 | 14 | 10 | 2 | 31 | 9 | 22 | 52 |
| 3 | Sheffield Utd | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 36 | 17 | 19 | 52 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 39 | 22 | 17 | 50 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 43 | 32 | 11 | 41 |
| 6 | West Brom | 26 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 40 |
Le Bris arrived after the Black Cats spent four months without a permanent manager in place. Others seemed like preferred targets but Le Bris eventually left Lorient, freeing him up for a move to Sunderland where he’s become a fan favourite already.
Last time out though, Sunderland lost against Stoke City in the FA Cup third round, and the Black Cats were poor in the game. But fans would rather the club focus on the league with a tricky top six clash coming up against Burnley on Friday night.
Whether West Brom have a manager in time by then remains to be seen. The Baggies have been without a manager since Christmas Day.
Raphael Wicky to West Brom deal collapses
One of the names mentioned alongside Sunderland during the summer was Swiss coach Raphael Wicky. The 47-year-old was, and still is without a club, but boasts good pedigree following a two-year stint with Young Boys which ended in March 2024.
He won the Swiss Cup and the Swiss Super League in 2023. Sunderland were linked with Wicky and soon after, it was revealed to us that Wicky was keen on replacing Michael Beale. But the Black Cats bided their time and eventually hired Le Bris.
Recently, Wicky has been heavily linked with the West Brom job. But BBC revealed on Monday that Wicky’s move to The Hawthorns had collapsed because of ‘complications over assembling the coaching staff requested by Wicky’.
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Kristjaan Speakman and Sunderland can relate to Raphael Wicky news
For Sunderland, the backroom team was something of a sticking point during the summer when the club was trying to hire a new manager. In fact, it was reported that Will Still pulled out of the Sunderland running because of concerns about investment and the makeup of the backroom staff at the club.
The Black Cats seemed determined to keep Michael Dodds in place, along with several others, though many incoming managers want a complete revamp of the backroom. Le Bris arrived on his own, but the club has since hired the likes of Pedro Ribeiro with Le Bris’ approval.
Finding a manager who’s ready to work with new backroom staff, or very few at first is difficult, as Kristjaan Speakman and Sunderland already know, and as West Brom are finding out now.