A handful of names have been closely linked with the Sunderland job this week, with Reims boss Will Still one of them.
The 31-year-old is quite a well-known name among football fans on social media.
His rise in management has been closely followed, with the Belgian-English boss having guided Reims into 5th place of the Ligue 1 table after little over a year in charge.
He’s earning high praise in France and is widely recognised as a contemporary tactician, with his Reims turnaround labelled as ‘astonishing’ by French football expert Johnathan Johnson, but he also suggested that Sunderland might not be a great fit for Still right now.
Here though is three reasons why Still and Sunderland could be a perfect fit…
The French factor
Born in Belgium to English parents, Still is fluent in both French and English.
There’s clips of him on social media transitioning easily between the two languages and that could hold him good stead should he arrive on Wearside.
The Black Cats have a number of French-speaking players in their side; Adil Aouchiche, Abdoullah Ba, and Pierre Ekwah, and all three have had somewhat mixed seasons so far, and all are still very young too.
Having Still at the club could be comforting for them and it could get the tactical ideas across more clearly.
The French market could well be one that Sunderland look to exploit in the coming years too, and having a French-speaking boss would certainly help to ease the transition for potential French signings at the club.
The high press
There’s a bit issue with Sunderland’s attack right now.
Tony Mowbray was, before, getting the best out of his side’s potent attacking line, but Sunderland now seem far less dangerous then they have been in previous months.
Still though dons a very high and energetic press and that could unlock the potential of players like Luis Semedo, Nazariy Rusyn, and Eliezer Mayenda, who’ve yet to really kick on since their summer arrivals.
Sunderland could be made for such a system with quick players like Patrick Roberts and Jack Clarke to deploy in attack, so Still’s high press could be very attractive to the Sunderland hierarchy.
Youth is on his side
It was said shortly before Mowbray’s sacking that Sunderland want a younger boss to come in and compliment the youthful ethos at the club right now.
And there’s few coaches younger than Still.
Even at 31 though, he’d still be senior to many of the players in the Sunderland first-team, and so there’d be a nice age gap in that respect.
But Still’s youthfulness gives him as much potential and room to improve as the players, so if he’s a good coach now, then in a few years down the line, there’s no guessing how impressive he could become.
Still’s trajectory as a coach could line up nicely with the trajectory Sunderland want to go on.