Got promotion from this division having played good football with Barnsley. Struggled this season but they'd lost key players which isn't ideal when going up a division. Seems to have done a decent job at Hannover as well, so at least he's been okay at more than one place. Barnsley and Hannover are both bigger than the likes of Wycombe, especially Hanover who get crowds higher than us, suggesting that he won't be overawed by the size of the club. In comparison Ainsworth has done a good, slow and steady job at Wycombe. As mentioned though this is a much bigger club, much bigger expectations, he wouldn't have time to slowly build (we need to go up this season, next at the very, very worst), the football he plays at Wycombe isn't exactly what you'd want to see here (hopefully he'd adapt but no guarantees). So for me Stendel is deservedly viewed above Ainsworth who is seen as one of the front runners. There's others in the mix as well of course, but he certainly deserves to get an interview (which I'm sure he will), probably alongside Cook, Ainsworth, pearson (if he wants it), Sol Campbell and Phil Parkinson. Even that is maybe too big of a shortlist!
This. I will say I’m not remotely offended by Pearson with SKP as a second choice. If Pearson did a Leicester job with us and Phillips was the face to the fans that could be a great ride.
Fair point on that actually. I accept this. Still, whoever was giving the contracts at that point was like a kid with unlimited Skittles.
I'd definitely take Pearson and Phillips. Not sure SKP would want it having previously said he'd like to be a number one, but if he wants to come to Sunderland he can't necessarily expect just to rock up with no managerial success (at any level) under his belt. This might be his chance to get in. That team would certainly get the fans behind them, maybe not quite like Keane would but probably more similar to that than any of the other options. Its realistic and, with the takeover/ investment being a major frustration I think we need something positive on the manager front to get people energised again. I know it's a bit of a cliche but I do feel we've got more chance of going up if all the fans get behind it with genuine enthusiasm. I don't think Cook or Ainsworth would bring that, I don't think Keane is realistically going to come back into this situation. I genuinely think Sol Campbell would be an interesting choice but his comments about the club previously (and sadly possibly his politics) in addition to his experience only being in league two means he wouldn't unite the fan base either.
Yeah. I’ve just mentioned how Barton would have been a strong pick if he was of different character, Sol, well he branded us a pack of racists in a book, there’s no way around that. We’ve never had that kind of issue, I was ****ing raging when I read that. He did an absolutely magnificent job with Macclesfield, almost the impossible.
I don't know that Keane has progressed at all as a manager in the time he's been away. He may have done but his CV doesn't make you think that he has. He was great when he was here but that doesn't automatically mean that he'll be great again. If nothing else, I firmly believe that you should never go back.
Sol Campbell would be a ridiculous appointment, and one that wouldn't be at all popular . . . . he seems to me to be a horrible person anyway, always ready to 'play a card' if he doesn't get his own way (that's the way that he's come across to me) so why on earth would we want him anyway This has become a debate, rather than what I think the thread was meant to be, so I'm going to merge it
Yeah, he did really well at Macclesfield, is definitely a character, would get the respect of the players you'd imagine. There's a few boxes ticked with him, he's also very ambitious and I'm sure the size of the club wouldn't phase him at all. I had doubts about whether he'd be able to stick a job out (after how he went on a couple of times as a player, at Notts County especially) but fair play to him he stuck it out at Macclesfield and did well. The issue like you say would be his previous comments. No issue at all with any player calling out racism, but labeling our fans as that, when the game he remembers so well didn't even happen, it would be very difficult to get the fans onside after that. I'm certain he'll be interviewed like, but that will probably rule him out ultimately, and Pearson or Stendel are probably better choices anyway, certainly Pearson is a safer one
It is difficult if not impossible to say who the right man is for this job. There are incompetent managers and there are competent managers who find themselves at a club where things fall in place and they do well (but don’t do so well elsewhere). Track record counts but luck plays a part in getting the momentum going. I suspect (or is that hope) SKP has the potential to be a good manager but I don’t know. He won’t get the job and I understand that. They’ll go for someone “guaranteed” to get us promotion and we then just cross our fingers. It is sobering to think that, on paper, forgetting his spell here, Simon Grayson would be an outstanding candidate for the job.
I don’t tho k he will be considered or interviewed because of the past comments, not just at us but in general. He seems a bit mental. He lives up here I think.
Echo now saying Parkinson is the favourite...God help us..I really hope Donald thinks this through..Not a good appointment at all if it happens.
See that one of the duffers tasked with finding us a new manager ( according to the sanddancer Chronicle) is Richard Hill. All would agree his forays into the transfer market with his cohort 'butter fingers' coton have been a huge success ( no really ). Now many defended ross about transfers saying the above 2 ruled the roost eg ross wasnt fussed with grigg, especially given the fee. Well grigg has proven to be a total waste but maybe he just doesn't suit ross's hoofball? Other than o'nein just about every player brought in has been atrocious or meh. God only knows his acumen when choosing managers. Given he is big buddies with donald maybe he helped choose ross 18 months ago ( groan )
He does seem a bit mental, but of course we now have to interview at least one BAME candidate. When the takeover chat was going on I was hoping we might have a chance of speaking to Hughton, but he won't be interested now. Not sure who else is out there who would be worth talking to? Yorke keeps applying every time we have a vacancy like, but I feel that would just be wasting his time and ticking a box, at least Campbell has done well in management recently and might have some interesting opinions, like I say if it wasn't for comments about our fans I think he'd have been genuinely worth considering
Stendel is surely the best choice out of the currently available and realistic pool of managers. His freeness will likely be a pretty big tempter for Donald and if he can get us playing attacking football it'll get the fans back onside.
Quite worrying he's now 10/1 on with Skybet Very unimaginative choice Dull manager Dull tactics exactly the kind of manager we don't need Worrying if this is the best they can come up with Check out the style of play section https://lionofviennasuite.sbnation....to-know-on-phil-parkinson-from-a-bradford-fan If you think Ross was dull and defensive he has nothing on Parkinson
Apart from the obvious we also need a boost and some positive media attention ... ... Phillips would give us both and I think Donald will take his application seriously.
