HIGHLIGHTS

  •  Scott Brown, the former Celtic player and Fleetwood manager, is interested in becoming the next Sunderland manager.
  •  Despite his success at Celtic, Brown’s lack of managerial experience and disappointing start to the current season may hinder his chances of getting the job.
  •  Sunderland is expected to choose a candidate with more experience at a higher level for the managerial position.

Scott Brown is interested in becoming the next Sunderland manager, with the Championship side looking for Tony Mowbray’s successor.

Sunderland seek Tony Mowbray replacement

The Black Cats sit ninth in the Championship table, only three points away from the play-off places, but the board decided to replace the ex-Blackburn chief on Monday evening.

Having finished in the previous campaign in the top six, many thought Mowbray had enough credit in the bank to get past the recent mini-slump of three games without a win.

Championship Table (As it stands December 6th)
Team P GD Pts
9 Sunderland 19 7 27
10 Watford 19 5 27
11 Cardiff City 19 4 27
12 Middlesbrough 19 2 27
13 Norwich City 19 -2 26
14 Bristol City 19 -1 25
15 Birmingham City 19 -4 23
16 Plymouth Argyle 19 2 22

However, he has now departed, and attention has turned to who will come in to the Stadium of Light.

Scott Brown keen on Sunderland role

As you would expect, a host of names have been linked with the job in the past few days, with Scott Brown the latest to throw his hat into the ring.

The 38-year-old is best known for his playing days at Celtic, as he made over 600 appearances for the Glasgow giants. During that period, he won ten league titles and 12 domestic cups, whilst he also featured regularly in the Champions League.

The Black Cats are looking for a new manager after Tony Mowbray was sacked on Monday night

Brown also has experience as a manager, having landed his first job with Fleetwood in 2022.

Despite limited resources in comparison to fellow League One sides, the Cod Army did well under Brown’s guidance, finishing 13th in his first full season in charge.

However, a disappointing start to the current campaign, combined with issues involving the chairman, saw the ex-Scotland international leave.

But, it seems he is ready to get back into the game, as the Daily Record has confirmed Brown’s interest in replacing his former Celtic boss at Sunderland.

Is Scott Brown a serious option for Sunderland?

In truth, it’s hard to see Brown having a chance of landing the Sunderland job.

Whilst he had a stellar career in Scotland, his only managerial experience is with Fleetwood, and even though he did well in his only full campaign, the early part of this season will be a concern.

Plus, it’s obviously a massive jump up from Fleetwood to Sunderland, in both the division and the expectation.

Brown is still a young coach who is learning, and you would think he has to have at least one more job elsewhere before he becomes a serious option for a club like Sunderland.

There will be a host of high quality candidates with more experience at a higher level that will be keen on this challenge, and you would expect the Black Cats to pick one of those for the job.

What next for Sunderland?

Ultimately, it’s about waiting for the new manager to come in, and it’s a massive decision for the club, so they’re right to be patient, as they need to get this right.

In the meantime, Mike Dodds will be leading the team, with two huge games coming up in the next week.

Firstly, West Brom visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday, and high-flying Leeds make the trip to Wearside a few days later.

As it stands, it seems highly likely that Dodds will be in the dugout for the Albion game.

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