With Sunderland sitting ninth and just three points adrift of the Championship play-off places, Tony Mowbray was dismissed in a bold decision from the Black Cats. The former Blackburn Rovers boss guided Sunderland into the top six in the previous campaign before they lost to eventual Wembley winners Luton Town in the semi-final.
It looked as though Mowbray’s side were on course to compete for a shot at promotion once more too, only for Sunderland to bring the manager’s tenure to an end after their 1-1 draw against Millwall. Now, the search is on for the next man to enter the hot seat at The Stadium of Light, with one particularly impressive name reportedly entering the shortlist.
Sunderland manager news
After relieving Mowbray of his duties, Sunderland released a statement on the club’s official website thanking the manager. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said:
“All at SAFC have thoroughly enjoyed working with Tony and he is quite rightly held in high regard by our players and staff, and our supporters. After arriving at an uncertain time, he helped guide us to the Sky Bet Championship Play-Offs and played an important role in developing our team. This was a difficult decision to make, but we remain loyal to our ambition and our strategy, and felt that now was the right moment to take this step.
“We are now focused on identifying the right candidate and we will continue to support our coaching team and players throughout the interim period.”
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Sunderland could look to appoint this out of work manager, putting the ongoing Mowbray manager saga firmly to one side.
The focus now turns to finding their next manager, with reports suggesting that one specific name has entered the shortlist. According to reliable reporter Ed Aarons of The Guardian, Reims manager Will Still has entered the shortlist to replace Mowbray at Sunderland. The Englishman has earned plenty of plaudits in Ligue 1 and Sunderland’s owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has reportedly been impressed.
There’s no denying that Mowbray did an excellent job at Sunderland, but if they are to push on, then Still could be the perfect next step in the club’s push to return to the Premier League. The Reims manager initially stole the headlines last season when the news emerged about Reims’ £22k fine. The French club were paying the fine every week due to the fact that Still didn’t have a UEFA Pro License.
Persisting with their manager despite the fines, the Ligue 1 side finished 11th and have continued their rise, climbing to as high as fifth in the current campaign. Still has earned plenty of praise for his work, including from HLTCO, who posted on X:
“I know Will Still has become a meme on here since rising to prominence in France but I wholeheartedly recommend giving this interview a watch. Given his level of “fame” if you can call it that, he’s remarkably unaffected. He’s just an ordinary bloke doing an extraordinary job.”
Whether the Reims man makes the move to Sunderland remains to be seen, but Still certainly appears to have the credentials to take his place in the Black Cats’ technical area. With a busy festive period coming up, those at The Stadium of Light may want to ensure that their search for a new manager ends sooner rather than later.
