Sunderland need to look no further than the Championship for their next manager.
It has been over a month since Sunderland parted ways withMichael Beale and confirmed that their next permanent head coach wouldn’t arrive until the summer.
Beale’s spell in charge turned out to be a complete disaster, while they have continued to rapidly decline under Mike Dodds too. A horrific campaign full of bad decisions means that Kristjaan Speakman desperately needs to get this one right.
The Black Cats have already been linked with Will Still and Steve Cooper, with the former seemingly the most likely target after having held talks with the club following Tony Mowbray’s exit.
However, Still’s success in France at such a young age certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, and there is likely to be plenty of interest in his signature at the end of the season.
Cooper could also be difficult to bring to Wearside if it means him having no control or say over transfers, while he was believed to be earning around £2.5 million per year at Nottingham Forest.
Sunderland don’t need to spend millions or even look outside the Championship for a new manager though, with a potential replacement living less than three hours away.
A manager they have recently been linked with, and one that they should really consider, is Danny Rohl.
The German didn’t get into management until joining Sheffield Wednesday in October, but already has years of coaching experience with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Southampton and the German national team under his belt.
What has he brought to the Championship?
Rohl enjoys a tactical approach to football and has his players training for high-intensity matches, pushing players extremely hard to ensure they can meet demands and are getting the very best out of themselves.
The 34-year-old ‘class act’ also has a brilliant relationship with his players, with Barry Bannan and Josh Windass already labelling him the best manager they have ever worked with.
He has also been able to reignite some of his player’s careers, with Ike Ugbo and Ian Poveda both enjoying some of the best football they have played, while Marvin Johnson has become a star wanted by high-flying Ipswich Town.
Rohl’s methods are clearly working to, taking Sheffield Wednesday to within a point of safety after they previously looked dead and buried only a matter of months into the season.
Rohl is so dearly loved at Hillsborough and is believed to have a massive future in football, but if they are relegated then it seems highly likely that he will be on his way out.
Rohl has worked wonders with the Owls and hasn’t even had a full season with them or any money to spend, so it would be very exciting to think about what he could do at the Stadium of Light if he was to join this summer.