Interim Sunderland manager Mike Dodds spearheaded the Black Cats to a 2-1 win over West Brom in his first match in charge at the weekend, an ingenious substitution by the stand-in Sunderland boss completely changing the game.
Alex Pritchard being introduced into the contest was the catalyst the Championship hopefuls needed to overcome the Baggies, a short but sweet cameo off the bench saw the former Huddersfield Town man assist both Black Cats goals in the slim victory.
Sunderland star with fewer touches than Patterson stole the show vs WBA
Sunderland had an unlikely hero in their ranks drag them over the line to a 2-1 victory against West Brom.
ByKelan SarsonDec 10, 2023
In the short term, it looks likely that Dodds will continue as manager of Sunderland, especially for Tuesday night's game versus Leeds United.
But, the ongoing rumour mill at the Stadium of Light is circulating that the Tyne and Wear giants might go for this shock Tony Mowbray replacement soon.
Paul Heckingbottom could be offered an immediate return to management at Sunderland according to rumours, even after a bruising experience managing Sheffield United in the Premier League.
Managers in the frame to replace Mowbray
Left-field faces such as Julien Sable, Kim Hellberg and Will Still are still the prominent names being reported to replace Mowbray in the Sunderland hot seat, but Heckingbottom's recent departure from the Blades means he's now a notable outsider for the vacant position.
The Yorkshire Post in the last few days has reported on the very real possibility of the 46-year-old being the next Black Cats manager. Heckingbottom has allegedly been installed as the favourite for the role after securing promotion to the top-flight as Sheffield United boss during his up-and-down tenure a striking achievement on his CV that Sunderland could well admire.
Despite that noteworthy promotion, Sunderland should steer clear of the dismissed manager with Heckingbottom falling short elsewhere of what ambitious chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus wants in a new managerial recruit after axing Mowbray controversially.
Paul Heckingbottom's managerial record
Heckingbottom's failures as a manager far outweigh any of his recent successes, failing to endear himself to the hardened Leeds United masses in a doomed spell in charge at Elland Road in 2018 whilst a short stint at Hibernian directly after also didn't go to plan.
The former Blades man would only win four of his 16 games in charge of the Whites before being put out of his misery, unable to handle the intense pressure of managing an EFL giant on that occasion.
That wouldn't bode well for Heckingbottom if he took over the reins at Sunderland, an expectant fanbase keen for their fallen club to return to the Premier League soon with a chairman at the Stadium of Light who is also impatient to get back to the promised land of the top-flight.
Heckingbottom's style at Sheffield United also wouldn't be an apt fit for the Black Cats, the 46-year-old boss favouring an organised and well-drilled approach over allowing the attacking players in his system room to breathe.
It was telling this season too that when Heckingbottom lost the likes of Sander Berge and Iliman Ndiaye, the well-oiled system that had won the Blades promotion to the Premier League completely fell apart – the one-time Leeds boss overly reliant on his stars to bail him out.
If he was appointed as Mowbray's successor, the concern would be that if stars Jack Clarke and Dan Neil were misfiring, Heckingbottom wouldn't be able to get a tune out of the other inexperienced players in the Black Cats camp.
22/23 season record
53
32
8
13
23/24 season record
15
1
2
12
Overall record
68
33
10
25
This campaign – which saw Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp refer to the out-of-sorts manager as being in a 'very dark place' before his expected sacking – Heckingbottom's weaknesses as a boss were majorly exposed for all to see with Sheffield United way off the pace in the Premier League.
Losing 8-0 to Newcastle United at Bramall Lane was an all-time low for Heckingbottom, whilst a 5-0 loss to fellow promoted team Burnley was deemed the final straw for the scarred manager before being dismissed.
Appointing the 46-year-old would be a poor managerial decision right after Mowbray. Sunderland should instead wait it out for a manager more suited to their club than going after a boss still raw from his recent failures.