CHRIS COLEMAN HAS been tasked with halting Sunderland’s miserable run of form and saving the club from back-to-back relegation after being confirmed as their new manager this afternoon.
The 47-year-old left his post as Wales manager during the week and has today signed a two-and-a-half year deal to succeed Simon Grayson at the Stadium of Light. He becomes their ninth manager in the last six seasons.
Sunderland, who yesterday set a new record of 20 games without a home win in all competitions, are currently rooted to the bottom of the Championship table and haven’t registered a victory in 14 outings.
“It’s an honour to be appointed the manager of Sunderland and I’m over the moon that the club believes I am the right man,” Coleman told the club’s website.
“The club worked incredibly hard to make sure we were a good fit and to show me the potential that can be achieved here.”
“I believe that every person at this football club, every player and every supporter has a part to play in getting us back to where we belong.”
Coleman oversaw first team training on Sunday morning and his first game in charge will be Tuesday’s league game against Aston Villa.
Sunderland will be the fifth club of his managerial career after spells with Fulham, Real Sociedad, Coventry and AEL Athens.
The former defender was in charge of Wales for six years and guided his country to the semi-finals at Euro 2016 and into the top ten of Fifa’s world rankings.
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Should have stayed put or waited for a better and bigger opportunity. Sunderland are a lost cause, even if he keeps them up. They’ll be a mid to low championship side at best for the foreseeable future, or a top 6 Div 1 side.
@Stephen Duggan: he really should have spoken to you before making any decisions. Why would an experienced manager surrounded by people in football make a decision after likely speaking privately at length with the sunderland owners when Stephen who comments on the 42 could have put him straight!
@Brian: If you believe it’s a good job, more power to you. It’s a poison chalice, you don’t need to be a footballing genius to work it out.
@Stephen Duggan: nobody said it’s a good or bad job. I just laugh when people try and tell these people what they should and shouldn’t do. Pure speculation but who’s to say the chap isn’t stuck for a few quid and this job is setting him up well?
@Brian: So we should be able to judge if the government made a good or bad decision because we are not TD’s? Everyone can see its a bad job and a bad move for him
Sunderland did well to get Coleman. Not a bad move for Coleman to go to a team about to be relegated again. If he can get them to mid table this year it will be a huge result and he will be a hero. If they go down he can’t be blamed. Who needs the pressure???????
@Bill O’Brien: Of course he will be blamed if they go down. They still have a good championship team? If they are that hopeless of a team why did they sack their manager they just got in the summer? A long way to go yet and there is no way this team should get relegated from the championship!
Colemans a shite manager that got lucky with wales he’ll be fired before the end of the season.