Sunderland are still on the lookout for their next manager as three new names have reportedly entered the fray.
The relegated Championship side are still without a manager after parting company with Chris Coleman as it became apparent that Ellis Short’s days at the Stadium of Light were numbered.
Short’s tenure appears to be virtually over, with The Northern Echo reporting that departing Eastleigh owner Donald is all set to take over in the coming hours. And addressing the manager situation will surely be the first piece of business he attends to once in the hot-seat.
The Northern Echo reports that Chris Wilder is set to follow Paul Cook’s lead and sign a new contract with his current club, leaving the Black Cats to reconsider their shortlist of names.
According to The Northern Echo, Sunderland are now looking at Rae, Appleton and Parkinson as the front-runners for the post. Rae has spent more of his post-playing career as a coach, but has been a manager in the past, and may well be a popular appointment with the fans having made over 100 league appearances in the Black Cats’ midfield around the turn of the Millennium.
Appleton worked under Donald at Oxford United, so it is little surprise that he is being considered. He is the current assistant at Leicester City, but The Northern Echo suggests that he may be keen to become a number one again.
The Northern Echo adds that question marks surrounding the ownership at Bolton Wanderers have seen Phil Parkinson emerge onto the radar recently.
Parkinson has led Colchester and the Trotters out of League One and enjoyed a very successful stint at Bradford City in the past, so perhaps he would be a superb replacement for Coleman as the Black Cats brace themselves for a new chapter in every sense.
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