Sunderland appear to have former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior in their sights, as they look for a new manager.
Sunderland are set for further talks with Liam Rosenior, 39, as the Black Cats’ search for a new manager approaches the four-month mark.
Rosenior appears to be the only name in the frame right now after Will Still landed the RC Lens job and Pascal Jansen’s links were played down.
Former Derby County interim boss Rosenior is available after being sacked by Hull City in May, despite guiding the club to a 7th place finish in the Championship last season.
Hull City owner Acun Ilicali claimed that Rosenior was axed because of the negative playing style. Though it’s Rosenior’s playing style that’s made him well-regarded in the English Football League.
He implements a possession-based style, building up from the back and eventually putting a lot of crosses into the box and shots on goal too.
And comments from former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray certainly speak volumes about Rosenior and his playing philosophy.
What Tony Mowbray previously said about Liam Rosenior amid Sunderland links
Mowbray was Sunderland manager between August 2022 and December 2023. He boasted a win rate of 40%, guiding the Black Cats to a 6th place finish in the 2022/23 Championship campaign and becoming a well-liked name among fans.
Now out of work after recently leaving Birmingham City due to health concerns, Mowbray spoke very fondly of Rosenior in 2022, ahead of a clash between Sunderland and Hull City in the Championship.
The game finished 1-1 at the MKM Stadium in December 2022 with Ross Stewart on the scoresheet for the Black Cats that day.
Ahead of the game, Mowbray spoke on how Rosenior had improved the Hull City side, following his appointment in November 2022.
Mowbray said: “Nearly every team has changed manager this season. Many times this year we have done slides before the new manager arrived and how they looked and then how since then this manager has changed this.
“Looking at the data on Liam this week, he has improved a lot of stuff regarding possession of the ball, touches in the final third, shots on target. A lot of stuff has improved under Liam and it doesn’t surprise.”
Can Liam Rosenior improve Sunderland
What Mowbray said about Rosenior’s ability to improve teams in the final third will excite Sunderland fans, who had to sit through some very bland and negative football last season.
Both Michael Beale and Mike Dodds played poor football, though whether or not Rosenior can provide drastic improvements remains to be seen.
Sunderland will have a weakened attack next season if the likes of Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham leave, with the Black Cats unlikely to replace them with like-for-like quality.
So already it seems like Rosenior won’t have the same tools that his predecessors had, which could make the job more difficult for him than it was for the likes of Beale.
Hull City also spent fairly well under Rosenior, and on some big name players too; not so much younger players, but more established ones.
How Rosenior will cope in a side that is already very young, and likely to only get younger, arguably remains the key question.
Rosenior though now has a record of improving previously misfiring teams, so he could yet be the answer for Sunderland in what’s been a pretty desperate search for a new manager.