"Didn't want to be there" - Simon Grayson reflects on Ellis Short era at Sunderland | OneFootball

As a manager, Simon Grayson has enjoyed success with plenty of clubs throughout the EFL, albeit not with Sunderland during his stint in charge under Ellis Short.

Ultimately, the former midfielder, who was raised in the North East, would only oversee 18 competitive outings in charge of the Black Cats, winning on just three occasions before losing his job; but it was there that he became well-known to fans outside of the EFL.

The toxic environment on Wearside at the time was well-documented in Netflix's 'Sunderland 'Til I Die' series, which encapsulated plenty of the drama and poor choices behind the scenes of the club's disastrous 2017/18 second tier campaign.

Since their relegation from the top-flight during the 2016/17 Premier League season, Sunderland have been on a rollercoaster of contrasting fortunes, which included a four-year stint in League One after suffering back-to-back relegations.

Grayson oversaw the first part of that season, with cameras regularly seen in and around the training ground and stadium on matchdays as well. Short was the man at the top as both owner and chairman of the club, gaining controlling interest in September 2008 and departing Sunderland in April 2018 - almost 10 years on.

Grayson was appointed in the latter stages of Short's tenure, coming in as manager in June 2017. However, after a poor run of form, he was dismissed after a 3-3 home draw with fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers. Ex-Wales manager, Chris Coleman, was appointed as the new boss in November.

Grayson reflects on Ellis Short's Sunderland tenure

Grayson has reflected on his time at Sunderland under Short, who he claims was in the process of trying to sell his share in the club, which had a large impact in terms of what happened on the pitch that season.

Speaking to Football League World via Casino bonus, he said: “Well, I think at the time, it was a different club as it is now.

“Ellis Short, the owner, was trying to sell the club so there were a lot of sales and a lot of difficult atmospheres around in the dressing room. Players were still there that didn’t want to be there.

“It wasn’t a great time to go there. It’s probably a better time to go now as manager, if anybody’s going to go, because it seems a lot more stable off the pitch than it was previously.”

He added: “You only have to look at not just the managers that have been under the current owners, but the previous owners as well. There have been some really good managers that have struggled at Sunderland.

“You go back from when I was there to Chris Coleman and other people since. It’s not an easy job to get right for the coaches but also for the owners as well.”

Simon Grayson's Sunderland spell

It's fair to say most managers would undoubtedly have struggled with the situation at Sunderland in the 2017/18 season, despite the fact they had only recently been relegated with some high-quality players.

Grayson has proven to have plenty of mettle as a manager previously, but the fit between him and his local side was evidently not a good one, and has perhaps permanently damaged his reputation as a coach in English football, too.

As for Short: his tenure may have started well, but the mistakes he made in the last few years as chairman of Sunderland have impacted them to this day, as they still seek a return to the top-flight of English football.