by When ex-Sunderland midfielder Len Shackleton wrote his autobiography he titled one chapter: “An ordinary director’s knowledge of football.” There was a blank page and it ensured that, back in 1956, the ‘Clown Prince of Soccer’ generated plenty of headlines.
Not that the late Shackleton was joking or using a cheap marketing trick. One of the best players of his generation, the England international has been highly suspected of many boardroom maneuvers and no doubt would have had something suitably caustic to say about Tony Mowbray’s shock last Monday. Has anything really changed since the middle of the 20th century?
Related: Championship round: Leeds beat Blackburn to keep the pressure on at the top
The departure of Mowbray, who is well-respected among Sunderland supporters and, by all accounts, players too. After guiding a very young, often excitable team to the Championship semi-finals last season and leaving them within touching distance of the play-off places, it is hard to see what the 60-year-old has done wrong age.
With caretaker manager Mike Dodds sticking to Mowbray’s style template, this comeback win against promotion rivals West Brom not only boosts Sunderland’s playoff hopes but adds to the appeal of the managerial vacancy.
Candidates can only hope that they will be interested in their numbers. Kristjaan Speakman, the club’s sporting director and trust fund billionaire Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland’s majority owner, appear to be obsessed with a data management model.
They clearly believe that statistical analysis will identify a bright young coach who can work miracles on relative budgets and lead them into the promised land of the Premier League.
The current shortlist of the pair includes Will Still, the 31-year-old manager of Ligue 1 Reims who is currently impressing in France, Julien Sablé, the 43-year-old assistant manager of Nice and Kim Hellberg, the 35-year-old head coach . Residents of Sweden’s top flight IFK Varnamo. It is hoped that Sunderland’s 20th manager in the last 21 years could be installed by the end of this week.
Louis-Dreyfus watched from the directors’ box as a tough offside decision denied Jobe Bellingham an early goal when West Brom goalkeeper Alex Palmer couldn’t quite hold on to Patrick Roberts’ initial shot. Little brother Jude is a talented forward who led Dodds’ starting XI with invention and intelligence, keeping a visiting defense already stretched by exciting home wingers Jack Clarke and Roberts on their toes.
The only problem is that, for all his ability, Bellingham remains much more of a creator than a goalscorer and the lack of loudness in the home squad is probably a big reason why Louis-Dreyfus and Speakman pushed the panic button management. Bar Bellingham’s disallowed effort was the closest they came to a goal in the first half when Roberts, somewhat dramatically, fell to a cornering challenge and appealed in vain for a penalty.
Carlos Corberán had their own ambitions to advance the bay, but they suffered a setback when Dan Ballard’s bold, yellow-carded tackle left their star forward Josh Maja in a tizzy before leaving. out to replace Tom Fellows.
Due to an ankle problem, Maja was making his first start of the season for Corberan but Stadium of Light season ticket holders appeared to be seeing a goalkeeper they admired before he left Bordeaux four years ago.
Sunderland were duly encouraged to re-emerge for the second half much on the front foot. Adil Aouchiche saw a first-time shot off the post before a superb Palmer save kept out Clarke’s follow-up. Whether with Sunderland or, more likely, someone else, Clarke is sure to be a Premier League player next season.
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The Wearsiders’ play-off hopes were boosted in the 69th minute when Ballard fired them into a deserved lead courtesy of a superb header after connecting with substitute Alex Pritchard’s beautifully calibrated free-kick.
When Pritchard’s brilliant counter-attacking vision succeeded in mobilizing Dan Neil and registering the second goal in the 86th minute Sunderland looked done and dusted. But just as Dodds had reason to congratulate himself for bringing in Pritchard’s brace, Brandon Thomas-Asante’s late header from Gonzalo Ávila Gordón’s cross reduced the deficit, prompting a nervous denial.
There are plenty of games in store when Leeds visit the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, third place, in all likelihood, a repeat.
