Don’t be shocked if Sunderland make move for manager Louis-Dreyfus was spotted with in 2022: View
Sunderland’s search for a new manager after a disappointing season hints at necessary changes on and off the field.
Recruitment strategy focused on youth and potential success in developing young talent needs to be balanced with experience.
Possibility of hiring Gerhard Struber as a new manager to lead a young squad with high-intensity play style for future success.
Sunderland have been in search of a new manager for some time now, with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus yet to appoint a successor for Michael Beale.
After an underwhelming season of stagnation in the second tier in finishing 16th in the league, there are bound to be a number of changes behind the scenes at the Stadium of Light, with the futures of many players up for discussion in both the short and long-term, as well as the need for a new man in the dugout.
Mike Dodds was in the caretaker hotseat until the end of the season, and they now need to make an appointment as early as possible for the right candidate to help transition the club into next season. Beale was an unpopular appointment with Black Cats supporters, and he failed to win over the doubters during his two-month spell at the helm.
Dodds was only in interim charge but the club have had four permanent managers in two years and are in need of the next boss to take a young squad to the next level. Sunderland’s sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, recently stated that they would be willing to pay a compensation fee to a club in order to get the manager that they wanted.
Their recruitment so far in the last few transfer windows has continued to reflect the policy of signing pre-peak and youth players, which Sunderland have implemented over the last couple of seasons, and has had far more hits than misses thus far. Largely, it is players aged 21 and under, with the resale value and scope to develop rapidly, that have helped to add continuity and progression to the sustainable, forward-thinking model that has been put into place.
Speakman, Louis-Dreyfus and co. have done well to improve that side of things with Sunderland in season one and continued to build last summer, albeit they ended up taking a step back in season two, perhaps overdoing that side of things and needing a few extra senior heads.
Of course, recruitment is just one thing to consider, but the club don’t need wholesale changes on that front, with just a few clever additions likely to take this young group up a level. However, the main elephant in the room is the club’s next managerial appointment.
A swift appointment would allow for an easier summer, with whoever comes in able to assess the playing squad and hit the ground running, whereas dragging things out could see the Black Cats fall behind their Championship peers in preparation for next season.
They have had eyes on exciting young coaches, such as Danny Röhl, Will Still, and Rene Maric, with all of those highly regarded as promising tacticians that are worth keeping an eye on throughout Europe. The players need stability, but perhaps a younger coach is preferable, despite the risks that surround an inexperienced manager.
Still remains in the frame for the head coach vacancy at Sunderland, according to the latest from Football Insider. The 31-year-old is still in with a chance of becoming the permanent successor to Beale following an interview with the club’s hierarchy.
The Black Cats are said to have held reservations over Still’s suitability for the role, but those concerns have been played down. It is expected that the new head coach will have to work alongside the current backroom and coaching staff, while also fitting in with the club’s current model, but there remains no concrete progress as of yet.
