Sunderland have been urged to appoint ‘hugely impressive’ Liam Rosenior as their new manager.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus claims to be nearing an ‘imminent’ appointment after four months without a head coach.
The Black Cats had looked highly likely to appoint Pascal Jansen as Michael Beale’s replacement, however fans were left shocked when he was withdrawn from the shortlist over the weekend.
While Marti Cifuentes was one name emerging as a favourite, all eyes now appear to have turned to Liam Rosenior.
The 39-year-old was sacked by Hull City at the end of the season after failing to reach the play-offs, and has since had a number of offers across the EFL.
He now looks close to joining Sunderland though, with reports claiming he is set for a second round of talks this week.
Many supporters have had their reservations about Rosenior’s arrival, having missed out on the top six despite having the likes of Jacob Greaves, Fabio Carvalho, Tyler Morton and Jaden Philogene in their ranks.
Many Hull fans have also taken to social media to criticise his boring style of football, though many others were also left disappointed when he was dismissed.
Liam Rosenior is ‘incredible’ and ‘passionate’
While the Black Cats are unsure what to expect, talkSPORT host Hugh Woozencroft has now backed the coach and has told Sunderland to ‘give him some time’.
Writing on X, he said: “If Liam Rosenior goes to #SAFC they have an incredible passionate manager who will give his absolute all to make it a success, to bond with the club, the staff & players and to entertain the fans on a Saturday. Hugely impressive character and enthusiasm. Give him some time!”
Liam Rosenior’s stats at Hull City
Last season, the Tigers had thefifth-highest average possession in the Championship (55.5%) – just behind Sunderland.
They managed only eleven clean sheets – two less than the Black Cats, and had a lower xG (57.7).
They had slightly more shots on target per match (5), but had less touches in the opposition box (1,045).
The stats don’t give off much hope for Sunderland fans, but after a horrid time with Michael Beale, having a much more likeable, caring and passionate manager will be one huge positive.
Supporters weren’t excited about Tony Mowbray or Alex Neil, but they immediately got along with the players and understood the fans and it just got better from there.
Rosenior is still young and has plenty to learn, so there is no reason why he can’t build further on what he has taken from his time in Yorkshire.
It feels like a stab in the dark but he certainly isn’t going to be as disastrous as Beale, and after waiting so long, the club need to give him their support.