Reports are circulating via TeamTalk suggesting former Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber is on a three-man shortlist to replace Tony Mowbray at Sunderland.
Mowbray was appointed as manager at the Stadium of Light in August following Alex Neil’s departure to league rivals Stoke City and has since taken the club to the playoffs in their first season back at this level.
Despite Mowbray’s success this season, a season that could end in promotion back to the Premier League, his bosses are reportedly lining up three replacements to take the club forward this summer. Alongside Struber is the RB Salzburg head coach Matthias Jaissle who is on course to win his second Austrian Bundesliga title in two years and is seen as one of the more promising young managers in Europe. Completing the shortlist is 34-year-old Italian Francesco Farioli, most recently of Turkish side Alanyaspor and a previous front-runner for the Watford job.
Gerhard Struber
Struber is a 46-year-old former Austrian midfielder who spent the majority of his career in his homeland before leaving Wolfsberger AC for South Yorkshire.
Struber was handed the reigns at Oakwell following the departure of promotion-winning manager Daniel Stendel and a six-week search for a replacement. He would guide the Tykes to Championship safety, securing their status by one point.
The 2020/21 season was far more successful for Barnsley as they secured 5th place in the Championship before losing out to Swansea in the playoffs. However, Struber departed Oakwell in October to take over at the New York Red Bulls of the MLS.
The Austrian’s overall record in New York saw 33 victories and 31 defeats in his 87 matches before his departure just a few days ago. He had been quoted as wanting a move back to European football due to the distance between himself and his family while working in America.
Writer’s View
To me, this doesn’t make sense and you wonder what more Mowbray could have done to keep his job. After the difficulties the club had getting out of League One and then being dealt the blow of losing Neil, this appointment has worked out better than surely they could have imagined so to be willing to change that seems the wrong decision.
No matter the outcome of the playoff campaign, should Mowbray lose his position I doubt he will be short of suitors following the success he has had with The Black Cats this season.
