John Jenkins gives his views on the current managerless situation on Wearside and runs the rule over potential candidates…
Well…it started as a rumour which slowly emerged as fact, but now that Niall Quinn has publicly announced his intentions for Sunderland Football Club, where does it leave us now?
Financial
Little is known about how the £40m debit will be managed. It certainly won’t be cleared off in one go if that’s what you were thinking. Murray had only been paying off the interest, but with more funds now available, the bank may expect more now. Quinn has revealed that transfer money will be made available, but how much and how are we going to spend it with no manager? There are so many questions that need to be answered by Niall and at the moment. Many Sunderland supporters have been blinded by the buzz, but I certainly haven’t.
Managerial
Niall has a shortlist of potential managers and has said that he wants a big name, but also the right person for the job. The alleged list comprises of O’Neill, Keane, Allardyce, Curbishley and McLeish.
O’Neill – Despite being a Sunderland supporter as a boy, the chances of us landing O’Neill are slim to none. He needs to take care of his ill wife and can’t work too far north. Quinn was rumoured to have offered him a deal Allowing him to work in Sunderland for only 4 days per week, with his training staff taking control in his absence.
However if Niall is wanting the right man for the job, then surely a manager that can give the club his 100% attention is needed and not somebody with distractions in their private live.
Keane – Keane was said to have no interest in management at this time, and to be honest I would rather have Peter Reid back before bringing Keane in. The man has no respect and no experience.
Curbishley – Has not been contacted by Quinn at the moment, but has spoken out about his desire to have a breather from football. I think Curbishley is a more realistic target and I wouldn’t mind seeing him at the helm.
McLeish – I think Alex is most likely to be the next Sunderland manager on the list, despite him not being what we ideally want. But he has big club experiences and has managed in Europe.
Allardyce – Quinn seems to be even more persistent with Big Sam than he was with O’Neill, so lets look at the facts.
Why would Sam want to join Sunderland?
– Potentially better financial backing.
– A word class stadium and training facilities.
– Some of the greatest support you could wish for.
– A fresh challenge.
– Greater potential.
Why wouldn’t Sam want to join Sunderland?
– Working in the Championship.
– Working for a club that sometimes has cruel and impatient supporters.
– Working under extreme pressure to bring overdue success.
– The club`s yo-yo status.
Now, there are probably more reasons to join than not, but even if Sam did fancy a crack, which I don’t think he does, there are other issue to consider. Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has already gone on the record stating that he will not allow Sam to go to Sunderland as he has 4 years left on his 10-year contract. To release him from that would cost Sunderland several million, not to mention having to pay Sam about £3m per year to beat his current £2.5m salary at Bolton.
All in all I think Quinn needs to get his head out of the clouds. Bar McLeish, all these managers are Premiership class. We are not in the Premiership. We are in the Championship. As soon as you and Quinn realise that, we can get to work on rebuilding the club and enticing the crowds back through the gates. It’s all very well telling the masses what they want to hear, but if you can’t deliver then you really are in at the deep end.
I hope I’m wrong and Sam comes to Sunderland, but being realistic, the next Sunderland manager will either be McLeish or the recently sacked David O’Leary!
Players
I don’t think Sunderland need to invest too heavily to get out this league.
Goalkeeper – I think it’s time for Alnwick to take the number 1 jersey. However we still only have two keepers on our books. Steve Harper has been linked with us and would be great addition to the squad, should we sign the underrated stopper.
Centre Back – We desperately need somebody with a bit of pace. Cunningham has the cool, experienced head we need. But both Collins` are simply not good enough. Callum Davenport anybody?
Left Wing – If the legendary Julio leave us for Boro then we’ll certainly need a left footer. Welsh is just too weak.
Striker – I think we need to get rid of Brown and Stead. Stick with Murphy, Elliott and Kyle. Bring in David Nugent to play along side Sleeves.
I think we have enough depth to the squad to make a quick return with these acquisitions.
Concerns
Quinn hasn’t even taken control of the club yet. We know very little about his plans, his investment and what is going on with regards to getting a manager. Clearly work is being done behind the scenes but he needs to start speaking to the supporters and soon because the buzz is wearing off and patience is wearing thin.
Sort it out Quinny!!!!
By John Jenkins
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