Former Celtic captain and ex-Fleetwood Town manager Scott Brown is keen on taking over from Tony Mowbray at Championship outfit Sunderland.
That is according to the Daily Record.
As Simon Jordan put it, the outspoken former Crystal Palace chairman speaking to talkSPORT in the aftermath of Tony Mowbray’s sacking, this is a job which will carry plenty of appeal. Particularly amongst ambitious, out-of-work managers looking for a new project.
Sunderland can boast one of the most exciting crop of youngsters in the whole of the EFL, an impassioned fanbase, a cavernous stadium, and plenty of pulling power. Ninth in the Championship table, the Black Cats are still only three points adrift of the play-off spots too.
Sunderland may be biting off more than they can chew attempting to lure Kieran McKenna away from Ipswich Town. Ditto Will Still at Reims. But do not be surprised if an avalanche of CVs coming raining down on Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ desk in the coming days, with Scott Brown the first of presumably many expressing an interest in one of the most attractive jobs in England’s second tier.
Scott Brown keen on Sunderland job
The Daily Record say that Brown has ‘entered the running’ in the last 24 hours, making the Sunderland bosses aware of his interest. Sacked by Fleetwood Town after picking up one point from a possible 18 at the start of the current campaign, Brown’s reputation as a manager is not quite as glittering as that of McKenna or Still, but the 38-year-old earned plenty of admirers in the North West while guiding The Cod Army to a respectable 13th place finish in 2022/23.
Brown, a former Scotland and Celtic captain, is a natural-born and vocal leader on and off the pitch. An attribute which could come in very handy in at the helm of an inexperienced Sunderland squad.
“I’m really pleased with the way (Brown’s first season) has worked out,” former Fleetwood chairman Andy Pilley said in March, via the Herald Scotland. “I like him personally and I like him as a football manager. He’s a pleasure to have around the place.
“For us to be in the top half of the league and reach the fifth round of the FA Cup (for the first time), I think that’s a fantastic achievement.”
Former Celtic and Scotland skipper
Brown, speaking to The Gazette shortly after his appointment, confirmed that his philosophy as a coach would revolve around aggression and physicality but creativity and freedom too.
“You need to get in (the opposition’s) faces and you need to win the ball back,” Brown said. “For us, it’s about keeping a clean sheet at the back and scoring goals.
“You want to see fighting spirit from the lads. Enthusiasm and good body language on the pitch.
“For me, that’s a starting point and should be a given in every game. The fans should be able to see that every game.”
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