Next Sunderland Manager Odds: Paul Heckingbottom New Favourite To Take Over
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It shows how far Sunderland have fallen in recent months that they are closer to the relegation zone than the play-offs places in the Championship.
A 2-0 win at Cardiff on Good Friday remains their only win in their last 11 league games and their search for a new manager continues.
It is unlikely interim manager Mike Dodds will be asked to stay on after a terrible time in charge of the team since replacing Michael Beale.
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So who will be picking the Sunderland team next season? The best betting sites continue to update their market.
We look at some of the candidates leading the way to be Sunderland's next permanent manager.
Heckingbottom Emerges As The New Favourite
Paul Heckingbottom has climbed up the market to be the 4/5 favourite on football betting sites to be the next permanent manager of the Black Cats.
Heckingbottom has been out of work since being sacked by Sheffield United earlier this season. After a poor start to the season, he was relieved of his duties after a 5-0 defeat to relegation rivals Burnley in December.
While he might not have the greatest record in the top flight, Heckingbottom has a promotion to the Premier League on his CV, which should carry some clout with clubs looking for a successful route out of the Championship.
Still's Odds Start To Drift
Heckingbottom's movement to the top of the market bumped Will Still into second favourite on betting apps, for the time being anyway.
Still continues to be linked with a number of managerial vacancies in England and sooner or later he will land a top job.
The 31-year-old continues to impress in Ligue 1 with Reims, but an opportunity to work in the Championship might prove too good to refuse.
Still is 7/4 to replace Dodds at the helm of Sunderland.
Reims have won just two of their last 10 league games, suggesting Still's head might be turned by the speculation linking him with a move to north east.
Sunderland Could Be On A Röhl
Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Röhl has risen up the market into the 2/1 third favourite to take over at the Stadium of Light.
The Owls have been in the Championship relegation zone since August 12, but are now just one point away from escaping, which might remain a concern for the club, but it shows how far they have come since Röhl's arrival in October.
When he took over from Xisco Munez, the Hillsborough club were 12 points from safety.
The 34-year-old has settled into life in England very well and no doubt Sheffield Wednesday fans will want to keep the German for next season regardless of what division they end up in.
Black Cats Could Turn To Keane, Again
If Sunderland are looking for a manager who knows the club well and what it means to the community, then Roy Keane ticks the right boxes.
Keane was in charge of the Black Cats from August 2006 until December 2008. In his first season in charge, he won the Championship title, but was sacked midway through his second season.
The Irishman, who has drifted on the market to be the next Republic of Ireland manager, was close to a return in 2022, but talks broke down and Alex Neil was named as Lee Johnson's replacement.
Keane, a popular pundit on Sky Sports and ITV, has drifted to 7/2 to replace Dodds as the club's next permanent manager.
Cooper Remains In The Question
Steve Cooper (4/1) remains in the mix for the Sunderland job as and when it becomes available.
Cooper has orchestrated a promotion from the Championship before, after taking Nottingham Forest from the threat of relegation to League One to the top flight.
He was also a fan favourite at the City Ground and carries a more than decent reputation into his next role. Cooper was linked with the Wales job following their failure to qualify for this summer's Euros.
But the Welsh FA confirmed recently that Rob Page would remain in the role for the World Cup qualification campaign that starts in September.
Solskjaer Is Available If Sunderland Want Him
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is another name that has been added to the list of potential suitors for the Sunderland job.
The Norwegian has been out of a job since being sacked by Manchester United in November 2021, but his experience of managing in the Champions League and Premier League could be a factor.
Before taking the United job, Solskjaer managed Cardiff, so he has experience of being a Championship manager also, even if things didn't work out well in the Welsh capital.
Solskjaer (5/1) was recently linked with an interim role at Bayern Munich, so his ability to manage has been recognised at the highest level.
Parker Fits The Bill To Bring Stability
Scott Parker is 6/1 with football betting sites to be the next man through the door at the Stadium of Light.
We quizzed former Black Cats defender Phil Babb in an exclusive interview with Gambling.com regarding his thoughts on the current situation at Sunderland.
"It's a difficult one. I can't say delusions of grandeur, but I think promotion has got them wanting to challenge again," Babb said.
Babb advised a more measured approach: "Settle down and just stabilise, have a good run in the Championship, maybe have a sniff of the play-offs. But if not, then next year you would look at that."
Parker, with his successful track record at both Fulham and Bournemouth, embodies this idea. Having secured promotion from the Championship twice before, he seems a natural fit to potentially start afresh next season.
While his stint at Club Brugge may not have gone as planned, given ample time, Parker's managerial qualities are sure to shine through.
He is presumably itching for another chance on the touchline and the size of Sunderland could attract him.
Neil And Lampard Among Candidates
Alex Neil guided Sunderland to promotion to the Championship back in 2022 via a play-off final triumph.
He went on to take over at Stoke City, where things didn't go to plan, with the Scotsman eventually being sacked.
Neil is rumoured to be open to a return to Sunderland, but it may not go down as well with the Black Cats fans.
After botching the appointment once already by recruiting Beale, Sunderland, for their part, would probably prefer someone who the fans would at least favour – that’s why Neil is a dark horse at 7/1 with new betting sites.
Frank Lampard (9/1) might have to drop into the Championship for his next role, after an unsuccessful return to Chelsea when stepping in as interim boss.
Lampard led Derby Country to the play-off final in the second tier, but he still has something to prove as a coach.
Rooney And Gerrard Dark Horses For Role
Former England captains Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard are outsiders for the Sunderland position.
It would be a shock if Sunderland were to approach Rooney (12/1) given how badly things went at Birmingham.
The former England striker is unlikely to get another Championship job any time soon.
Steven Gerrard (16/1) would be an interesting shout, given the fact he's had mixed fortunes so far in his managerial career.
However, it is impossible to know whether the current Al-Ettifaq boss would relinquish his lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia for a role in the Championship.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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