Sunderland had a season to forget in the Championship, as Mike Dodds steered the Black Cats to an eventual 16th-place finish under his dismal interim tenure.
It's been a dramatic decline for a side who were competing in the second-tier play-offs just last season with Tony Mowbray at the helm, losing out to Luton Town in the semi-finals after winning the home leg, with Sunderland finishing a dire 17 points shy of the top six this term in contrast.
Losing six games on the trot under Dodds' tenure was a particularly dark point of the season, with a feeling of relief when the campaign was finally over and done with after a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday.
Sunderland could look at "highly-regarded" manager over Svensson
Sunderland could now look towards this Bo Svensson alternative for their next manager.
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ByRobbie WallsMay 27, 2024 5 Frank Lampard Free agent (last job: Chelsea)
Frank Lampard may not have had the greatest last few years in management, with the former England midfielder losing his Everton job to Sean Dyche in January 2023, just months after keeping them in the Premier League. That was followed by a terrible return as interim boss at Chelsea, with the Blues ending the 2022/23 season in the bottom half.
However, the Stamford Bridge legend does have experience in the Championship – and a more positive one, at that. He guided Derby County to the play-off final in his only season at Pride Park, only to fall to Aston Villa. Maybe the step back down is what he needs to resurrect his managerial career, and return Sunderland to the big time in the process.
6 Rene Maric Bayern Munich U19s
The first manager on this list to still be tied down to a club, Bayern Munich U19s coach Rene Maric knows all too well the dramas of football in England, having been assistant manager to Jesse Marsch at Leeds United for a brief stint.
Away from that association, Maric has garnered a reputation for being an attack-minded coach in Germany, with his U19s side netting 26 goals this season in league action from 11 games.
If the Sunderland hierarchy want to raise the excitement levels, they could well approach the daring 31-year-old, who could well end up being their very own Danny Rohl, who joined Sheffield Wednesday from the Bavarian giants to great success.
7 Slaven Bilic Al-Fateh
Current Al Fateh boss Slaven Bilic also has experience managing in the tough demands of the Championship, having been in charge of West Bromwich Albion between 2019 and 2020 and securing automatic promotion to the Premier League in that timespan.
A nomadic manager who has taken charge of teams from all over the world, including China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia across his varied career, the Croat could jump at the opportunity to return to England with Sunderland.
He could well have an outside chance of being the Black Cats' new boss.
8 Steve Cooper Free agent (last job: Nottingham Forest)
Steve Cooper appears to be a man in demand, which may explain why he isn't higher up this list. Indeed, the former Nottingham Forest boss may well have other suitors lining up for his services, which may mean another stint in the Championship with Sunderland doesn't end up being the most appetising.
However, he took on a similar role when accepting Nottingham Forest's offer and took them up immediately, so it's not totally out of the question if this is a task tailor-made for Cooper to succeed.
9 John Terry Free agent (last job: n/a)
This would certainly be a bold move by the Wearsiders, particularly given John Terry, for all of his playing achievements, has no senior management roles to speak of.
Having previously held assistant roles at Aston Villa and Leicester City, he is no stranger to the dugout, but stepping up as a manager would hardly be a risk-free appointment, particularly when Sunderland look like a team desperate for some inspiration.
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