Black Cats see ex-United boss as no.1 candidate
Sunderland will target ex-Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes to replace Sam Allardyce- should Sam be called up by the FA for the England job.
Moyes has been out of work since he was sacked by Real Sociedad in November last year after a poor start to the La Liga season.
But his difficult three years since leaving Everton for Manchester United have not affected Sunderland chairman Ellist Short’s view that the Scot is the man to help guide the Wearside club away from the flirtation with relegation the club have suffered through recent years.
With Allardyce the favourite to be handed the England position, the Sunderland chairman is also desperate to avoid to being dumped into a search for a new manager just as the season starts.
Approaches are already being made indirectly to ascertain Moyes’ interest, while Burnley manager Sean Dyche – who was on the Wearside club’s radar before Allardyce was hired – is another of interest to Sunderland. Moyes, however, provides a pedigree in Premier League success.
Allardyce has told Sunderland that he has been given no guarantees by England and was back at work on Thursday looking to kick-start a quiet transfer window for the club.
New reports this morning have suggested that Bournemouth manager, Eddie Howe, will also be interviewed to take over from Roy Hodgson as national coach, with the FA ideally wanting to appoint a new manager before a friendly against as-yet unnamed opposition on September 1, which will likely be held at Wembley.
The World Cup qualifier against Slovakia follows three days later. Though achieving that goal now seems highly likely, the notion of an interim manager guiding England through the first World Cup qualifiers has not been entirely dismissed.
By Ben Kelly – @benkelly_10
