Many names were linked with the Sunderland job before Simon Grayson filled it recently.
Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole is delighted that Simon Grayson left his post at Preston North End to take over at the recently relegated side, and is very glad that a big name manager didn’t get the job, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.
In the aftermath of David Moyes’ resignation, several big names were linked with the Black Cats post – including former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, who at one point was heavily backed to step into the dugout at the Stadium of Light.
Leicester City’s Shinji Okazaki in action with Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole
Ultimately, Sunderland firstly went with Derek McInnes, only for the Aberdeen manager to turn the post down, before making a move for Grayson, which was widely seen as a sensible appointment from most footballing neutrals.
Speaking out about the new manager, and it appears Cattermole agrees with the notion that Grayson is a good fit for the club, and heaped praise on his new boss – while claiming that a big name manager wasn’t what the club needed at all following relegation.
“I kept looking at the next manager odds throughout the summer, everyone gets excited about the big names, but I honestly don’t think that’s what we needed,” Cattermole said, as reported by the Sunderland Echo. “He’s [Grayson] got a lot of experience in the football league, that’s what we need, particularly in recruitment.
“Since he has come in, his approach to training, the way we’re going to work, he’s been different class. We just need to buy into and trust what he says because he knows the league better than most. It isn’t always going to be pretty football but you need to find that way to win.
“Honestly we’ve had four, five years where nothing has changed. It might be the best thing, to get out the spotlight, have a look at things, rebuild the squad, because we need hungry players who want to come here with a point to prove and to make a name for themselves at Sunderland.”
Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole
Despite the massive rebuilding job that needs to happen at Sunderland, the Black Cats are still expected to be a force in the 2017/18 Championship, as they seek to bounce back from a miserable Premier League campaign in the 2016/17 season.
Under Moyes, Sunderland finished 20th – bottom of the league – and as such, inadvertently swapped places with their hated rivals Newcastle United, who won the Championship title last season.
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