Grant McCann could be in line to become the new Sunderland manager as the club look to push for promotion from League One.
Following a humiliating 6-0 loss at the hands of Bolton Wanderers, the Black Cats parted ways with Lee Johnson and are now looking to hire a replacement.
According to Sky Sports, former Hull City boss McCann is one name on the shortlist. Past Sunderland manager Roy Keane is also mentioned as an option, alongside ex-Celtic coach Neil Lennon and former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock.
However, if McCann was handed the job, that could make for quite an interesting time on Wearside…
Promotion experience
Of course, McCann has already achieved what Sunderland were unable to do under Johnson. Last season, while still at Hull, he helped his men gain promotion from League One back into the Championship.
As things stand, the Black Cats are still in with a shot of also reaching that goal. After 30 games played, the club are in fourth spot, two points off the top two.
That said, second-placed Wigan Athletic have four games in hand and would take some catching, but McCann’s past success in the league may give him the know-how to get Sunderland out of the division.
Should Sunderland hire Grant McCann?
Yes
No
Revenge mission
Another factor that may drive Sunderland up into the Championship, could be McCann’s desire for revenge. Having got Hull up a division, and with them in little danger of being relegated again amid a mini-revival either side of Christmas, the former manager would have every right to feel a little hard done by after he was sacked, not long after the Tigers’ new owners took over.
What’s more, it’s not as though he is short on ambition – he was once being described as ‘driven and obsessed’ with success. Meanwhile, he also claimed he wanted to go on and win the Championship after being promoted with the Tigers.
Keeping that in mind, it seems more than likely that if McCann was hired, he would set himself the goal of bringing Sunderland back into England’s second tier and overtaking Hull when it comes to the progression the two teams have made in recent seasons.
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