Chris Coleman was named as Sunderland manager this week.
Speaking to The Northern Echo, new Sunderland manager Chris Coleman has revealed the blunt text message that Andy Melville sent him upon taking the job on Wearside.
The former Wales manager was named as Simon Grayson’s successor at the Stadium of Light this week and already has a huge job on his hands, with the Black Cats rock bottom of the Championship.
Coleman has already hired Kit Symons as his number two, while Melville, who spent six years at Sunderland as a player and now works as a scout for Northampton, is also linked with joining his former Fulham and Wales team-mate in the North-East.
And although he refused to comment on whether Melville would be joining, he did reveal to The Northern Echo that the 48-year-old sent him a to-the-point text message in which he told Coleman to leave if things aren’t going great.
“Andy is doing a good job for Northampton in the scouting department,” he told The Northern Echo.
“I couldn’t say he’s coming to work here, that would be unprofessional. He sent me a nice message – ‘get it right and you’ll be a hero, get it wrong … move’. Very simple.”
With Sunderland being a huge club with a passionate fanbase, Melville’s words make perfect sense, but Coleman, who led Wales to a quarter-final spot in Euro 2016, will be optimistic that he can turn things around.
Up first is the tricky trip to Aston Villa tonight, but a positive result could be the start of a run that Sunderland need to climb out of the relegation zone.
Four points separate the Black Cats from safety at the moment.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
