It has been a steady decline for Sunderland over recent years, but they have reached new lows this season as they currently sit in The Championship relegation zone. The club have now begun a search for yet another new manager as Simon Grayson was dismissed following a 3-3 draw with Bolton Wanderers at The Stadium of Light last night. There is no doubt that whoever takes on the role has a massive job on his hands.
What has gone wrong for the Black Cats this season?
Sunderland currently sit 22nd in the league table, two points below Birmingham City who sit in 21st and also have a game in hand. Considering Sunderland’s aspirations of an immediate return to the top flight before the season kicked off, it has been an abysmal start to the season. They do not have appeared to have shaken off the hangover of relegation from last season, and that negativity has now transpired into the beginning of the current campaign.
Their start to the season has also seen their abysmal record at The Stadium of Light continue. They have not won a game on their own pitch since December 2016 and despite leading 2-1 against fellow strugglers Bolton on Tuesday, still could not hold on to secure three points and ended up drawing 3-3. This result ultimately signalled the end of Grayson’s time in charge of the club, but the problems have much deeper roots.
The Black Cats have picked up just one win from 14 league games this season which came in the form of a 3-1 win against Norwich City at Carrow Road. This run has seen them also draw seven and lose seven. It has left everyone connected with the club with serious concerns that the club may face a future in League One if they are unable to turn their form around drastically.
What next for Sunderland?
The club’s hierarchy will have already begun their search for a new manager. It will be a tough job for anyone to take on and there might not be that many credible managers willing to take the risk. Sunderland may have to take a risk on a more up and coming manager who sees this job as an excellent opportunity to progress in their career.
There have been a number of names already linked with the job including Gordon Strachan, Alan Pardew, Roy Keane, Sam Allardyce and more. The club may have to back whoever takes over with significant funds in January as they just cannot afford to suffer back-to-back relegations. The primary aim for Sunderland for this season must now be to remain in the division and start to rebuild from top to bottom. This is the only way they are going to be able to get out of the mess they currently find themselves in. Due to the current situation, many managers may be put off but whoever does take over needs the time to turn things around in what is a very demanding league.
