Sunderland have selected Mike Dodds as interim manager following Michael Beale’s departure on Monday.
Dodds returns as Sunderland’s interim manager for the third time, and this will be his longest stint with the club.
Following Tony Mowbray’s departure, Dodds took command of the Black Cats for three games, winning at Leeds United and West Brom before losing at Bristol City.
Following the defeat, Beale took over, while Dodds remained as an assistant.
However, following a rocky 12-game stint at the Stadium of Light, Beale has left, and Dodds will return until the summer.
Mike Dodds has ‘potential’, but he may not be Sunderland’s man
Dodds is a well-respected coach who is said to be popular behind the scenes at Sunderland.
According to Michael Graham, Sunderland’s owners and board consider Dodds as having ‘head coach potential’ but prefer a boss with’more substance’.
Graham posted on X:
My honest opinion is that Sunderland have made mugs of us all far too many times to leave you feeling confident about any predictions!
From what I hear, #SAFC see Dodds as having head coach potential but want someone with more substance. Then again, they also appointed Beale… https://t.co/Beq56vLKjP
— Michael Graham (@Capt_Fishpaste) February 21, 2024
Dodds obtained his UEFA B License at the age of 18.
He subsequently went on to work for Birmingham City, where he helped develop players such as Jude Bellingham, before joining Wearside in 2021 as head of individual player development.
Dodds has golden chance to prove doubters wrong
Hiring Dodds in the summer would be risky for Sunderland, regardless of how well he performs in the closing weeks of the season.
He clearly lacks the experience of being a No. 1. Despite having worked under multiple Sunderland coaches, Dodds has never spent a significant amount of time in the dugout alone.
He’ll understand that now, and if he performs well, he might simply branch out on his own and pursue prospects as a head coach.
But taking on the Sunderland position as his first job looks like a significant step, and it appears that the Sunderland owners prefer someone with more experience than anything else.
But Dodds remains an asset to the club, and he’ll almost certainly be retained around to work with whoever the next manager is. If that term is another brief one, and Dodds performs well in these next 13 games, he may be considered again.
Sunderland visit Swansea City in the Championship this weekend.
A win might propel the Black Cats back into top-six contention and give Dodds and his players the confidence they need to claw their way back into the play-offs before the conclusion of the season.
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