Chris Coleman appears to be a fine appointment, but the unpopular Kevin Nolan similarly looked perfect for the Sunderland job
Sunderland have finally appointed Chris Coleman as their new manager after a lengthy wait since Simon Grayson’s sacking at the Stadium of Light.
A number of potential candidates young and old were linked to the job, but one man notable in his absence from this particular rumour mill was Kevin Nolan.
The former Newcastle United captain would never have been a popular choice on Wearside, having netted four times in derby matches against Sunderland.
But is that the reason why the Black Cats seemingly did not seriously consider Notts County manager Nolan?
It seems strange that when other young coaches – notably Paul Heckingbottom, per Sky Sports – were targets, Nolan – currently leading League Two – was not.
Sunderland needed an exciting, ambitious appointment and Coleman may well turn out to be exactly that, but their old derby day nemesis similarly fits the bill and actually has form in turning around the sort of miserable run the Black Cats are currently on.
Under caretaker boss Robbie Stockdale, Sunderland endured a 20th consecutive winless home game on Saturday, setting a new English record.
Notts were similarly desperate on home turf when Nolan took over in January, having lost five consecutive league games at Meadow Lane, winning just once in 15 matches. Remarkably, Nolan’s side have lost only once at home since then.
Nolan has previously discussed his intention to climb the leagues, as reported by the BBC, so it will be very interesting indeed to see if he is in the picture when the next big Championship job comes up…
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