Sunderland have identified St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson as a potential candidate in their search for a new Head Coach, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The Black Cats thought they had finally had their man earlier this week when they agreed terms with former Stade de Reims manager Will Still. It is said the 31-year-old had accepted the opportunity to move to the Stadium of Light last weekend, with reports claiming that he had already begun searching for a place to live in the North East.
Things quickly took a U-turn though when Ligue 1 outfit RC Lens came calling. Still is now expected to remain in France, with the opportunity to manage a team competing in Europe next season seemingly too good of a chance to turn down.
An official announcement is yet to be made, and the young coach remains Sunderland’s priority. At least, that’s according to Nixon, who also states that a new name has appeared on the Wearsiders radar should they fail with their primary target.
North of the border, Robinson has guided St Mirren to a fifth-placed finish in the Scottish Premiership. That was enough to secure a play-off spot in the Europa Conference League, the first time the club will compete in European competition since 1987.
In all competitions, the 49-year-old has achieved a 39.1% win rate this season. This feat is made even more impressive by the fact they had to contend with the league split for the remaining five games which saw them have to face off against the teams in the upper reaches of the table.It’s this form which has seen him become a viable alternative to Still.
Robinson’s last stint in the EFL came with Morecambe, with whom he left to take up the role with St Mirren in 2022. He has also managed Oldham Athletic, whilst his most prominent role came with Motherwell.
Writer’s View
This one is slightly from the leftfield, but Sunderland are keen to get this appointment right after getting the last one so drastically wrong. Of course, they would have liked the speculation to have been over by now and in an ideal world, Will Still would already be preparing his summer targets.
Whilst they have not given up on the Belgian-born Englishman, they do need to accept that they are possibly fighting a losing battle. Robinson has performed an excellent job in his two separate spells in Scotland, although this role would be a completely different animal. It could be a risk worth taking though.
Head of Writing
