There is a huge rebuilding job to do at Sunderland this summer, and whether the Aberdeen man is the right person to do that remains to be seen.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes celebrates at full time
Following news that Sunderland have agreed a compensation package with Aberdeen for manager Derek McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty, as reported by BBC Sport, it seems highly likely that the pair will be in the Black Cats’ dugout for the start of the season.
A fee of £1.2m was required to prise the pair away from Aberdeen, as reported by the Sunderland Echo, but you could forgive Sunderland fans for being a bit sceptical about the whole thing, as there are huge reservations over whether McInnes is the right man for the job.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes acknowledges fans after the game
There is arguably more work that needs doing at the Stadium of Light than there was for Aston Villa upon their relegation last season, and given McInnes’ previous record in the Championship, it’s understandable that questions are being asked about his suitability.
McInnes won just 17 of his 63 games in charge with Bristol City, and ended up getting the sack after a run of seven straight defeats saw the Robins eight points adrift from safety at the bottom of the league in the 2012/13 season.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes
While McInnes then went back to his home country in Scotland to rebuild his reputation at Aberdeen, which he’s successfully done given Sunderland’s approach, whether he can get rid of the deadwood and build a team that can challenge from the get go remains to be seen.
It’s a huge risk from a Sunderland perspective and one that may require their fans to be a lot more patient than they’d would’ve liked – but time will tell as to how McInnes fares, if he takes he job.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes
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