Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is coming under increasing scrutiny.
Sunderland continue their hunt for a new manager, after the Black Cats sacked Michael Beale after just 12 games in February.
Mike Dodds took charge until the end of the season and oversaw a disappointing 16th place finish, winning just two games as interim boss.
It’s now been five weeks since the end of the 2023/24 campaign, which Sunderland concluded with a 2-0 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
But the Black Cats appear to be no closer to hiring their next manager after recent reports revealed that Liam Rosenior had pulled out of contention.
It’s claimed that Rosenior has withdrawn from the running and from a second interview with the Black Cats hierarchy as he pursues the Burnley opening.
It comes after Sunderland missed out on Will Still to RC Lens; Still was Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus‘ no.1 choice to arrive at the Stadium of Light.
Kristjaan Speakman under the spotlight at Sunderland
Needless to say, Louis-Dreyfus is coming under pressure to hire a manager. But sporting director Kristjaan Speakman is under scrutiny for his role in the fiasco.
Not only has Speakman, in the eyes of many, failed Sunderland in the last few transfer windows, but he’s now failing the club in their search for a new manager.
There’s growing angst among Sunderland supporters and Speakman appears to be taking the brunt of the criticism.
Commenting on Speakman after the news that Rosenior was no longer in the running to become the next Sunderland manager, Michael Graham posted on X:
Can Kristjaan Speakman salvage his Sunderland reputation
It’s certainly a very difficult time for Sunderland, and without doubt the most difficult period since Louis-Dreyfus took over.
Having a manager in place come the end of the season would’ve allowed Sunderland to press on with matters in the transfer window; of which there are many.
But this emerging trend of being linked with a manager, only for the manager to then head elsewhere or pull out of contention, casts a very worrying shadow over the Sunderland job.
It suggests that the job may not be as attractive as it seems on the surface. It also creates an air of uncertainty, and a sense that Speakman and Louis-Dreyfus are desperately lacking any kind of direction.
Still was the no.1 target to come in this summer and missing out on him meant that Rosenior, who was in a job for the entirety of last season, was a plan B.
Now missing out him, and whoever else the club may have missed out on behind the scenes, means that Sunderland are going further and further down their list of potential manager candidates.
Like Graham says, whether or not the next Sunderland manager performs well doesn’t really impact upon Speakman’s current reputation among supporters.
Whoever comes in now may be a name out of the blue, maybe even a panic appointment; if he does well, it’s luck, if he doesn’t, it’s the fault of Speakman and Louis-Dreyfus.
There certainly seems to be no way back for Speakman after this managerial fiasco.