Poll: Is Sam Allardyce the man to lead Sunderland to safety?
Published:
Stuck in 19th place in the Premier League, without a win, with just their neighbours from up the road separating them from the bottom, it’s not been a great start to the campaign for Sunderland.
And with Dick Advocaat leaving the club after their recent 2-2 draw to West Ham they are now in the need for a new man to lead them to safety.
They might have missed out on Jurgen Klopp, with the German opting for the relative safety of Anfield, but their reported target is someone with a penchant for keeping sides up.
Chairman Ellis Short has reportedly stated that he wants Sam Allardyce to be appointed within the next 48 hours.
The former West Ham boss has worked wonders with teams struggling or tipped to struggle in the past.
He brought Bolton into the Premier League, guided them to safety on the final day of the 2002-03 season, before launching them up the table to qualify for the UEFA Cup just two years later.
At Upton Park he gained promotion before a secure mid-table finish of 10th place was established on their return.
If he were to be named the new man at the helm at the Stadium of Light though, he would face a much more difficult challenge.
After only scraping survival last term, a continuation of 2014-15’s poor form sees them established as 1/6 favourites to plummet into the Championship at the end of the campaign.
Allardyce may have claimed that he could manage the likes of Real Madrid and Inter Milan, and if he is to live up to those claims safety must be achieved.
But what do you think? Would Big Sam’s appointment be enough to ensure a ninth straight season in the top-flight for the Black Cats? Or is the damage already done in the north-east?
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All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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