Sunderland have now scheduled a ‘meeting’ with their first ‘choice’ manager.
Sunderland are into their second week without a head coach since the 2023/24 campaign came to an end.
Mike Dodds was appointed interim manager until the end of the season back in February, giving the club months to find a new permanent successor.
While it was initially expected that they would appoint a new head coach in the immediate aftermath of the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, it was later reported that fans could be made to wait until next month.
Sunderland are set to meet up with their chosen manager
However, journalist Alan Nixon has since reported that Sunderland are ‘close’ to appointing a new manager and has now claimed they are to set to meet their ‘choice’ very soon.
When asked whether the Black Cats could appoint a new coach in the next week, Nixon wrote on X: “Think they’re meeting their choice in next few days…”
It’s unclear who their first choice is, but the likes of Danny Rohl, Bo Svensson, Rene Maric and Will Still have all been linked with the job recently.
Why have Sunderland waited this long to make an appointment?
Sunderland’s patience in appointing a new coach suggests they could be waiting for a season elsewhere in Europe to come to a conclusion this weekend.
However, if they are meeting them in the next few days, then perhaps that isn’t the case.
With Danny Rohl keeping Wednesday up and holding ‘positive’ talks over his future at Hillsborough, it seems unlikely that Sunderland will now manage to snap him up.
The other three could be real possibilities though, and if they are meeting up this week, then that surely means an appointment is on the horizon.
While fans are frustrated that they have been made to wait, bringing in a new head coach before the end of the month could still be ideal.
The players won’t return to the Academy of Light until next month and it will give them plenty of time to settle in and prepare for the new season.
A lot will hinge on this appointment though, and Kristjaan Speakman will be well aware that his credibility is on the line.
The sporting director has been largely at fault for the club’s dramatic decline this term, bringing in Michael Beale to replace Tony Mowbray in December, resulting in the club falling down to 16th place in the Championship.
Sunderland’s position in the second tier, as well as the future of a number of their prized assets, could depend on how ambitious and promising the club’s next appointment is.