Sunderland could well be getting to the final stages of bringing in a new manager.
It has been nine days since Tony Mowbray was sacked and the club have already held talks with multiple candidates.
But it is Will Still that is hitting the headlines this week, with reports claiming that the 31-year-old could be open to leaving Reims and joining the Championship club.
Still is reportedly concerned about Reims’ January transfer plans, as well as the affect that the new year’s AFCON and Asia Cup could have on the team’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
L’Equipe have claimed that Still is now ready to ‘pack his bags’ and now looks to be the favourite to take the reins on Wearside.
With Sunderland looking closer and closer to appointing a manager, here are the three winners from Will Still’s potential appointment.
Mike Dodds
Mike Dodds’ last brief spell in charge ended in disaster, enduring two defeats to Doncaster Rovers and Cheltenham Town.
However, the 37-year-old has completely redeemed himself this time round. The coach has pulled off two tactical masterclasses against two of the best teams in the Championship, while he has also had many people questioning whether he should be given the job for a while longer.
While it does seem extremely unlikely that Sunderland would keep him in the role, he could still benefit from this.
Either Will Still will take great trust on Dodds, or he could potentially become a target for another club. He has clearly shown he is capable of managing in the second tier, so perhaps this could be the next step in his career.
(Though, of course, we would much prefer it if he stays here!)
Abdoullah Ba
The arrival of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus saw us invest in players abroad a lot more, with Abdoullah Ba, Timothee Pembele, Pierre Ekwah and Adil Aouchiche all French-born.
Abdoullah Ba has shown so much raw potential and at times has looked very exciting, but he is just really struggling to reach that level required of him in the Championship.
Perhaps we could send him out on loan, but there is also a great possibility that Will Still could help get the best out of him.
The Reims coach can speak fluent French and has been working in France for almost two years now. He even worked with English-speaking youngsters who moved over to Reims and helped them get the best out of them in a foreign country – working with former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun and also Manchester City youngster Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
We could really do with someone that can close the gap between our foreign and English players and Will Still could be the man for that.
Jobe Bellingham
Reading up on Will Still’s tactics, it looks like he relies heavily on his attacking midfielder to pretty much play all over the pitch.
A tactical analysis by Total Football Analysis claimed that Will Still likes to give his attacking midfielders ‘flexibility’, ‘find space in dangerous positions’, while another report claimed they tend to ‘become a second striker’ and ‘aggressively attack the area’.
With Jobe showing how useful he can be in front of goal this season, it seems almost the perfect position for him.
The ‘incredible’ teenager has proven just how versatile he can be and has been useful in both defending and attacking, while playing as a second striker would surely come easily to him.
His height and strength would also massively benefit him and would help him meet the expectations of Still’s tactics.