Sounds kinky, but no.. Dicks staff/ Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat has confirmed the make-up of his backroom staff ahead of the new Premier League season. The Dutchman will again be joined at the Stadium of Light by assistant head coach Zeljko Petrovic and first team coach Paul Bracewell, along with goalkeeping coach Adrian Tucker. But there is no place for Advocaat’s long-term sidekick Bert van Lingen, who won’t be returning to the North East. Petrovic, who hails from the former Yugoslavia, joined Sunderland along with Advocaat with nine league games to play last season and helped the Dutchman retain the club’s top-flight status. The 49-year-old also worked with Advocaat during his time with the Serbia national team. Meanwhile, club legend Bracewell joined the first-team set-up following the head coach’s arrival having previously coached within the club’s Academy. He made 226 senior appearances for Sunderland during three spells with the club and was capped three times at full international level by England. Ex-Sunderland midfielder Bracewell had spent the past two years working at the Academy of Light as a development coach with the Under-18 and Under-21 squads before stepping up to first-team duties under Advocaat. Sporting director Lee Congerton initially wanted Bracewell to bring Advocaat up to speed with the Black Cats squad and he has been retained by the Dutchman. Goalkeeping coach Tucker, from Wales, joined Swansea City’s coaching staff in 2009 having previously managed the Women’s national side. The experienced coach has also worked with Birmingham City and is the current England U20s goalkeeping coach. Meanwhile, sports scientist Scott Pearce will also continue in his role with the first team. Van Lingen, 69, worked alongside Advocaat for Rangers, Holland, Zenit St Petersburg, Belgium and Russia but he is not part of the coaching team for the new campaign.
Not so sure I like the sound of that. Remember O'Neill without Robertson? I was hoping we'd get the full package. But Van Lingen is 69 - maybe he just didn't want it.
Maybe bracewell is being lined up to take over after dick leaves??? Not sure how I think about that tbh!!
O'Neill had the experience. I wouldn't say I was worried about this, but I'd have been more comfortable with the continuity.
Just had a look at Petrovic as DA's successor for purely continuity reasons and he seems to be a steady eddie type and he is only 49.
