Fan Letters: "Danny Röhl won't be a candidate to take over at Sunderland"

10/05/2024 07:00

We've got a range of views on our next head coaching appointment, with the Sheffield Wednesday boss and former Hull head coach Liam Rosenior both mentioned. Got something to say? Email us: RokerReport@yahoo.co.uk

Dear Roker Report,

In my opinion, our new head coach won't be Danny Röhl, as the compensation we would have to pay Sheffield Wednesday would be a lot more than we can afford .

Will Still is the best bet, as he's a free agent and provided he could motivate the players on the books to actually play for him and the fans, we can get a grip of this league with proper investment and challenge for promotion during 2024/2025.

Malcolm Donnison.

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Malcolm. Thank you for your letter.

Personally, I'm not particularly sold on the idea of bringing either Röhl or Still to Sunderland, but if it came down to a hypothetical choice, I'd take Röhl.

The job he did at Sheffield Wednesday during 2023/2024 was nothing short of exceptional, and despite being a young coach himself, he seems to have a great deal of authority on the touchline and his players seemed to be fully invested in his methods- which would be absolutely vital for any Sunderland head coach.

I can't see us making a move for him, but who knows? We might be surprised!

Dear Roker Report,

I totally agree with Phil's reasons for not appointing Will Still as our next head coach.

I think it would be another example of Kristjaan Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus 'thinking outside of the box', and it verges on the whimsical.

He's thirty one years old, yet we won't sign players of that age because they're supposedly too old! He's also achieved limited success in a totally different league and environment, and his progress into management has been unstructured to say the least.

Alex Neil was far from an 'outside of the box'-type appointment, yet through a no-nonsense structure and sense of purpose, he moulded a talented but floundering group of players into a well functioning team.

Tony Mowbray was exactly the same in terms of not being a left-field choice, but he created an attractive and successful team, and had he been able to call upon Corry Evans and Ross Stewart for the whole of the 2022/2023 season, I think there was a fair chance that we might've spent at least one season as a Premier League club, but it wasn't to be.

What we now need is another genuinely grounded manager who knows just what he wants in terms of structure and individual and team discipline, combined with the right levels of experience and character from players he might bring in.

Could this be a Barry Bannan, an Alex Pritchard or a Danny Batth-type of player? He should also move out at least six of the signings brought in by Speakman and company during the previous three transfer windows.

No more 'outside of the box' and no more whimsy.

Alan Jackson.

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Alan. Thank you for getting in touch.

When it comes to Will Still, I just don't feel that he's a fit for Sunderland at this moment in time.

If we were coming off the back of a season during which we'd finished just shy of the playoffs and morale was still high, perhaps he'd be a more attractive option, but at this stage, I really believe we need an experienced coach with the kind of personality who can lift a group of players whose confidence took a hit during 2023/2024.

It's one thing to get an underdog punching above their weight, as Still did at Reims, but taking over at Sunderland this summer is a daunting task and I simply don't believe he's cut out for it.

Dear Roker Report,

Liam Rosenior needs to be appointed as first team head coach immediately.

No messing around by those in charge- do it quickly before another top team gets him.

Colin Slaughter.

Ed's Note [Phil]: Hi, Colin. Thank you for your letter.

I'm a big fan of Rosenior.

He's got a good vision of how he wants his team to play football, and he's also articulate and composed, which would be valuable attributes for our next head coach to possess.

On the other hand, having failed to get Hull City into the playoffs with a squad that was vastly superior to ours, has his stock fallen slightly, and would he be able to oversee genuine progress at Sunderland with little to no real say on transfers?

It's a very tricky one, for me.