There are plenty of arguments around whether Sunderland should have appointed a new head coach by now. One is the notion that a new man could help with negotiations for new players and try to lend a hand in keeping hold of existing ones.
After all, players want to know which manager they are playing for don’t they? Or is that not part of the deal these days? As long as they get their contract, and the agent gets his cut, it could be a case of who cares what man is in charge.
Also, as far as the club are concerned, the negotiations are all done by owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman. For them, getting the right man is the most important thing.
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The question is whether they can make the right appointment. I mean, they brought in Michael Beale which turned out to be a disaster and then decided to put a novice in charge while allowing the club to drift away to six points above the relegation zone at the finish. This after the club had been a couple of points off the play-offs when Beale left.
Some fans are saying it was the worst season they can remember in a while. But when all is said and done there have been far worse. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Sunderland spent four years in League One so surely a mediocre campaign in the Championship beats that?
Promotion and relegation campaigns have been the order of the day so have not been short of excitement in one way or another. And last season wasn’t completely flat, especially in the early part of the season, and even when Beale was in charge.
At least they won a few games under him, while Dodds’ record was woeful, in particular the team scoring one goal in their last six home matches. No wonder the fans felt flat after that and it’s the kind of statistic that stays with you.
The fact Sunderland didn't sign a recognised striker was a huge mistake and it will be interesting to see how that is addressed in the summer transfer window. There are fans who will expect things to fall into place and are happy to wait on a new head coach appointment.
With speculation rife, in some ways it might be best to let the club do what they are going to do before passing judgement. None of us will know whether the club have appointed another Dodds until the team plays, as results are the only thing that matters.
