Sunderland’s promotion hopes were dealt a huge blow when news broke that Roy Keane would not be taking over as the club’s new manager.
The Man Utd legend emerged as the front runner to replace Lee Johnson but, as reported by ChronicleLive, that will no longer be the case and the search for a new boss goes on.
Keane would have been a popular appointment on Wearside but Sunderland chiefs must act fast, or risk another League One promotion charge fading into obscurity.
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Alex Neil
Neil has been out of work since his four-year stint at Preston came to an end in March last year, with the club sitting 16th in the Championship.
The Scotsman’s previous exploits include guiding Norwich to Premier League promotion in 2015 after beating Middlesbrough in the play-off final.
Reports suggest he is now the leading candidate for the job after talks with Keane broke down.
Grant McCann
The Northern Irishman was sacked by Hull last month despite leading the Tigers to victories against high-flying Blackburn and Bournemouth in his final two fixtures.
His departure came shortly after Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali acquired the club for £30million but he was not universally backed by supporters.
McCann was in the hot seat as Hull finished rock-bottom of the Championship in 2020 - his first season in charge. However, he secured promotion at the first time of asking by leading the Tigers to League One glory the following year.
The 41-year-old has shown he can get out of this division but question marks remain about his credentials beyond that.
Neil Warnock
Recently sacked by north-east rivals Middlesbrough, Warnock could provide a short-term fix to Sunderland’s problems.
The 73-year-old would likely only want a deal until the end of the season but that could work to the Black Cats’ advantage. His remit would be clear: you have three months to get Sunderland back into the second tier.
Warnock holds the record for the most promotions in English football - with eight - so his appointment would give Sunderland invaluable experience over their play-off rivals.
Patrick Kisnorbo
Australian outlet FTBL claimed that Kisnorbo - who played for Leicester and Leeds - was on the Black Cats’ shortlist.
The former defender is the current manager of Melbourne City, who are second in the A-League.
Kisnorbo would certainly be a left-field appointment due to having no experience of managing in England.
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Sabri Lamouchi
The Athletic have named Lamouchi as a potential option for the gig at the Stadium of Light.
The Frenchman plied his trade at Marseille, Inter Milan and Monaco as a player but has struggled to make an impact in management so far.
He had a brief stint at Nottingham Forest two years ago but missed out on a play-off spot on the final day after a 4-1 defeat at home to Stoke.
Lamouchi last managed Qatari side Al-Duhail.
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