“A gamble worth taking” – Sunderland and a potential move for Will Still

Will Still, the head coach of Reims, is supposedly being considered for the permanent position at Sunderland.

After Michael Beale was fired, Sunderland is currently looking for a new permanent manager.

Having only taken over for Tony Mowbray at the Stadium of Light in December, Beale was fired last month after winning only four of his twelve games as manager.

Although journalist Alan Nixon stated that 37-year-old Mike Dodds might be given a full-time position if he performs well, the interim head coach has lost all four of his games in charge this season.

Alex Neil, the controversial former manager who abruptly left the team to join Stoke City in August 2022, is reportedly “open” to returning to Wearside, and reports from TEAMtalk indicate that Steve Cooper, Marek Papszun, and Paul Heckingbottom are also in the running.

But according to HITC, the Black Cats’ top candidate is Reims head coach Will Still. The team has long been interested in the 31-year-old, having made an offer for him after Mowbray left in December.

Sunderland is currently 11 points outside of the play-off spots in the Championship table, having lost six straight games.

Should Sunderland pursue Will Still as permanent Michael Beale replacement?

Several of our FLW writers were asked if they believed Still ought to be Sunderland’s top managerial target.

James Reeves

It wouldn’t be shocking if Sunderland made another try to bring Still to the Stadium of Light in the summer after failing to do so in December.

After taking over for Oscar Garcia in October 2022, Still guided Reims to an incredible 17-game league unbeaten streak. His team placed 11th in the Ligue 1 standings the previous season.

Reims, who are presently ranked ninth, have a good chance of improving on that place this season as Still keeps demonstrating his managing abilities.

Still is a viable target for the Black Cats because he has previously stated that he would be open to managing in the Championship and because his agent has hinted that his client may go to the second division.

Undoubtedly, Still have immense potential as a manager. Despite his advanced age and lack of Championship experience, he would undoubtedly be a risk worth taking.

The Sunderland board will be drawn to players with Premier League experience like Heckingbottom and Cooper, but Still would be an intriguing addition and would probably fit in well with the team’s philosophy of nurturing young players.

Rourke, Sam

In my opinion, Will Still is the manager that the great majority of Sunderland supporters would like to have in charge.

Last time around, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and company attempted to hire him, but the deal fell through and Mick Beale was selected instead, which proved to be disastrous for everyone concerned.

even after succeeding Oscar Garcia at Reims, he continued to perform admirably.

He managed to comfortably guide the French team away from what seemed like certain relegation, even if they are currently in ninth place.

Considering that Still is only thirty-one years old, this is a great fit for Louis-Dreyfus’ approach, which emphasises youth while looking towards the future.

The Black Cats, who have a more continental look, would benefit from Still’s multilingualism, and Sunderland supporters would be ecstatic about the appointment.

His managerial experience in the English Championship is undoubtedly a question mark in this case, but we’ve seen enough cases to know that it’s not a determining factor in success.

If Still desires the transfer, Sunderland should arrange it; if not, a bold bid for Steve Cooper, the former manager of Nottingham Forest, ought to be set aside.

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