Former Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy linked with Black Cats return
by Jack Kitson / 01 May 2018, 10:46TweetMick McCarthy is being hotly linked with a return to Sunderland - 12 years after the club sacked him - after he was installed as the odds-on favourite to replace Chris Coleman.
On Sunday Coleman become the club’s latest in a long line of recent managerial casualties, and it was none other than McCarthy who instantly emerged as the frontrunner for the vacancy.
Sheffield United gaffer Chris Wilder then took the lead on Monday, while Wigan boss Paul Cook also had his odds cut.
But now McCarthy has reclaimed his place at the summit of the Next Sunderland Market with Bet Victor now pricing the former Ipswich Town boss at just 4/11.
Elsewhere, former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, who is currently an assistant coach at promotion-chasing Derby, is now an 8/1 shot to venture into senior management at his old stomping ground.
Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League under McCarthy back in 2002/03, although he can hardly be blamed for the drop considering he only replaced Howard Wilkinson in March of that season.
The Black Cats went on to finish 3rd in the second-tier, then lost out in the play-offs, however they won the 2004/05 Championship title with 94 points, seven points clear of Wigan.
Sunderland’s return to the Premier League was shambolic as McCarthy’s men registered only two wins and 10 points from 28 games, before he was sent packing with the club 16 points adrift of safety at the foot of the table.
Academy manager Kevin Ball was appointed caretaker manager until the end of the season, but he could only collect five more points as Sunderland returned to the Championship in embarrassing fashion.
Fast-forward to next season and Sunderland will begin life in League One, and if reports are to be believed the club could once again be led by McCarthy, who was pictured in the North East (Boldon) on Monday…
Looks like Mick McCarthy in Boldon today. Food for thought pic.twitter.com/j9LdbgQjKR
— TweetFIsh (@Weetfish0077) April 30, 2018
