Next Sunderland Manager Odds: Will Still New Favourite For Black Cats Job
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Sunderland will continue to focus their attention on finding a new permanent manager to replace Michael Beale on the back of a disappointing end to the Championship season.
Mike Dodds’ third spell as caretaker boss – and second since December - has yielded just two wins in 12 matches and he is expected to leave the club at the end of the campaign.
The Black Cats were in the play-off spots after a 1-0 win against Leeds in mid-December but are certain to finish in the bottom half of the table.
So who will be picking the Sunderland team next season? The best betting sites continue to update their market.
We look at some of the candidates leading the way to be Sunderland's next permanent manager.
Still New Favourite After Reims Exit
Will Still was reportedly on Sunderland’s radar in December and he is the 4/5 favourite with betting apps to take the reins at the Stadium of Light after his spell in charge of Reims came to an end.
Born in Belgium to English parents, Still became the youngest manager in the top five European leagues when at the age of 30 he replaced Oscar Garcia at the Ligue 1 club.
A 19-game unbeaten run helped Reims finish 11th last season and they were as high as fifth in January this year, but results have tailed off and they are heading for a similar finish.
However, Still has also been linked with Premier League club West Ham, whose current manager David Moyes has yet to sign a new contract which expires at the end of the season.
Sunderland Could Be On A Röhl
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl has risen to 7/4 second favourite to take over at the Stadium of Light.
The Owls had been in the Championship relegation zone since August 12 and when he took over from Xisco Munez in October, the South Yorkshire club were 12 points from safety.
But Röhl transformed their fortunes and a five-game unbeaten run has put them on the brink of safety with one match remaining - ironically against Sunderland.
The 34-year-old has settled into life in England very well and no doubt Sheffield Wednesday fans will want to keep the German for next season regardless of what division they end up in.
Rene Maric Enters Sunderland Thoughts
Although Still seems to be the number one choice, Sunderland are also considering the merits of Bayern Munich’s Rene Maric.
A former assistant coach under Jesse Marsch at Leeds, Maric last year took on a newly-created role at the Bundesliga giants which centres on coaching development and playing style.
In February, he replaced Michael Hartmann as Bayern Munich’s U19 head coach so the Austrian’s reputation is on an upward trajectory.
Maric was reportedly on the shortlist in January because of his ability to improve players, but ultimately lost out to Beale, so it would not be a surprise should his name be considered by Sunderland’s hierarchy once again.
At 5/2, Maric is one of the frontrunners to fill the vacancy on Wearside.
Former Favourite Heckingbottom Drifts
Paul Heckingbottom led the way in April, but the emergence of Still and Maric has seen his odds move out to 3/1 on football betting sites to be the next permanent manager of the Black Cats.
Heckingbottom has been out of work since being sacked by Sheffield United earlier this season. After a poor start to the season, he was relieved of his duties after a 5-0 defeat to relegation rivals Burnley in December.
While he might not have the greatest record in the top flight, Heckingbottom has a promotion to the Premier League on his CV, which should carry some clout with clubs looking for a successful route out of the Championship.
Cooper Remains In The Equation
Steve Cooper (4/1) remains in the mix for the Sunderland job.
Cooper has orchestrated a promotion from the Championship before, after taking Nottingham Forest from the threat of relegation to League One to the top flight.
He was also a fan favourite at the City Ground and carries a more than decent reputation into his next role. Cooper was linked with the Wales job following their failure to qualify for this summer's Euros.
But the Welsh FA confirmed recently that Rob Page would remain in the role for the World Cup qualification campaign that starts in September.
Black Cats Could Turn To Keane, Again
If Sunderland are looking for a manager who knows the club well and what it means to the community, then Roy Keane ticks the right boxes.
Keane was in charge of the Black Cats from August 2006 until December 2008. In his first season in charge, he won the Championship title, but was sacked midway through his second season.
The Irishman, who has drifted on the market to be the next Republic of Ireland manager, was close to a return in 2022, but talks broke down and Alex Neil was named as Lee Johnson's replacement.
Keane, a popular pundit on Sky Sports and ITV, has drifted to 5/1 to replace Dodds as the club's next permanent manager.
Solskjaer Is Available If Sunderland Want Him
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is another name that has been added to the list of potential suitors for the Sunderland job.
The Norwegian has been out of a job since being sacked by Manchester United in November 2021, but his experience of managing in the Champions League and Premier League could be a factor.
Before taking the United job, Solskjaer managed Cardiff, so he has experience of being a Championship manager also, even if things didn't work out well in the Welsh capital.
Solskjaer (7/1) was recently linked with an interim role at Bayern Munich, so his ability to manage has been recognised at the highest level.
Neil And Lampard Among Candidates
Alex Neil guided Sunderland to promotion to the Championship back in 2022 via a play-off final triumph.
He went on to take over at Stoke City, where things didn't go to plan, with the Scotsman eventually being sacked.
Neil is rumoured to be open to a return to Sunderland, but it may not go down as well with the Black Cats fans.
After botching the appointment once already by recruiting Beale, Sunderland, for their part, would probably prefer someone who the fans would at least favour – that’s why Neil is a dark horse at 6/1 with new betting sites.
Frank Lampard (9/1) might have to drop into the Championship for his next role, after an unsuccessful return to Chelsea when stepping in as interim boss.
Lampard led Derby Country to the play-off final in the second tier, but he still has something to prove as a coach.
Alessio Dionisi Outsider For Wearside Switch
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has tightened the purse strings since becoming majority shareholder two years ago and he may prefer an out-of-work manager to avoid the need for compensation.
One man who springs to mind is Alessio Dionisi, who led Empoli to promotion to Serie A in his first season in charge in 2020-21 which led to his appointment as head coach at Sassuolo following Roberto De Zerbi’s move to Shakhtar Donetsk.
Dionisi helped steer the club to mid-table finishes in his first two seasons, but he was sacked in February and relegation looks on the cards under his replacement Davide Ballardini.
Despite his third season in charge turning sour, Dionisi still has a reputation as an exciting coach who has a proven record working with a young squad like Sunderland’s.
UK bookmakers have priced Dionisi at 8/1 to make the move to the North East.
Rooney Dark Horse For Role
Former England captain Wayne Rooney is an outsider for the Sunderland position.
It would be a shock if Sunderland were to approach Rooney (12/1) given how badly things went at Birmingham.
The former England striker is unlikely to get another Championship job any time soon.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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