Sunderland are still on the search for a new head coach ahead of the 2024/25 Championship campaign, having parted ways with Michael Beale in February.
Mike Dodds kept the dugout warm until the end of the season and the Black Cats finished in a dismal 16th place on 56 points, 17 points behind Norwich City in sixth.
Tony Mowbray led the club to the play-offs, in which they lost to Luton Town in the semi-finals, last season and was parted ways with to make way for Beale earlier in the current campaign.
Kristjaan Speakman's chopping and changing did not have a positive effect on performances on the pitch, clearly, as Sunderland finished ten places lower than they did last term.
The Black Cats chief must now take his time and ensure that the next pick to be the club's new head coach is the right one and will take them forwards next season, rather than back again.
Speakman and his team are now reportedly eyeing up a manager who could be perfect for current star Jack Clarke from next term onwards.
Sunderland's interest in former Championship manager
According to Football Insider, Sunderland are lining up a swoop to appoint free agent Liam Rosenior as their new head coach this summer.
The English tactician was relieved of his duties at Hull City at the end of the regular season and is, therefore, out of contract and free to speak to interested parties over the coming weeks and months.
It states that recently relegated Birmingham City are also keen on a swoop for the ex-Tigers manager, as former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray is not expected to return to his role there.
The outlet adds that he is highly-rated by a number of EFL clubs but the Blues and Sunderland are the two teams named in this report.
Speakman is said to be ready to battle it out to secure his services to take on the job at the Stadium of Light, although there is no mention of whether or not he would be interested in accepting the role.
The Telegraph's John Percy reported on Friday that Rosenior could emerge as an option for Norwich City, who finished sixth in the division and sacked David Wagner after their play-off defeat to Leeds United earlier this week.
This suggests that there could be a lot of competition, including from one team who finished significantly higher than Sunderland, to land the 4-2-3-1 manager.
Why Sunderland should appoint Liam Rosenior
Firstly, the Black Cats should look at his progression during his time with Hull as it shows that he can lift a team up the division, from when they were in a difficult spot.
Rosenior joined the Tigers after 18 games in the Championship last season and led them to 15th in the division, with more wins (eight) than losses (six).
After a 15th-placed finish in the 2022/23 campaign, the 39-year-old chief managed to get the team competing around the play-off positions for the majority of his second year with the club.
Hull ultimately just missed out on the top six as they finished seventh with 70 points – three off Norwich in sixth – and his points-per-game elevated from 1.36 last term to 1.52 this season.
This shows that he can improve a team's fortunes and battle for the play-off places in the Championship, with a very recent history of doing so.
Offensive
Possession football
Offensive
Take long shots
Offensive
Short passes
Offensive
Attack through the middle
Defensive
Opponents play aggressively
Defensive
Consistent first eleven
As you can see in the table above, Rosenior also has a possession-based style of play that includes plenty of short passes and long shots to excite supporters.
Meanwhile, the Sunderland Echo claimed that the club will look for a coach who can work with and develop young talent, which suits the ex-Hull man, who Ray Parlour hailed as "underrated" for getting the best out of what he has to work with, perfectly.
He helped the likes of Liam Delap and Jaden Philogene to grow and progress this season and that is why he could also be perfect for Jack Clarke, should he remain at the Stadium of Light next season onwards.
Why Liam Rosenior would be perfect for Jack Clarke
The former Derby County boss has already proven that his style of play and coaching style can get the best out of young players, as shown by his work with Hull during the 2023/24 campaign.
Philogene, who played for Cardiff last season, and Delap, who was on loan with Stoke City and then Preston North End, both showed huge improvement upon linking up with the Sunderland target.
37
31
37
32
6.53
6.84
6.74
7.32
4
8
4
12
0
2
1
6
0
4
2
7
As you can see in the table above, their attacking output increased significantly and this suggests that Rosenior can get the best out of attacking talent.
That, along with his possession-based style of play, could make him the perfect fit for Black Cats star Clarke should he be appointed by Speakman this summer.
The former Tottenham Hotspur winger, 23, ended the 2023/24 campaign with a return of 15 goals and four assists in 40 league outings, along with 12 'big chances' created for his teammates.
However, there was a drop off during the run in as he produced zero goals and zero assists in his last six matches of the season.
Five of his 15 goals came from outside the box and Rosenior's style of short passes leading to long shots could, therefore, suit the English wizard's style.
At the age of 23, Clarke is also still a young player who has time left ahead of him to develop and grow as a player, and Sunderland could bring in a head coach who can help him on that journey.
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On paper, Rosenior seems to fit the bill in the sense that he went on an upwards journey with Hull, plays a possession-based game, and has proven himself to be successful at improving young players.