Hull City could have just presented Sunderland with a golden opportunity following decision over 39-year-old: View | OneFootball

Sunderland are continuing their managerial search as they look to get a new head coach in place for next season after an underwhelming campaign.

Given the way the past six months have played out, there’s a lot of pressure on the hierarchy at the Stadium of Light to get things right, so links to Will Still are encouraging, as he would certainly be considered a smart appointment.

However, there will be other names in the frame, and the Black Cats will surely be considering Liam Rosenior after Hull City’s surprising decision to sack the 39-year-old.

Hull City sack Liam Rosenior

The former Tigers' player had done an impressive job with Hull after his appointment, initially steering them clear of relegation. Then, during his first full season, Hull finished 7th, just one place and three points outside the play-offs.

To ambitious owner Acun Ilicali, that wasn’t enough, as Rosenior’s exit was announced on Tuesday.

For many observers, this was an incredibly harsh call, but the Turkish businessman will argue that he gave Rosenior a talented squad that should’ve been in the mix for promotion, particularly after a January window that saw Hull sign the likes of Fabio Carvalho, Ryan Giles and Anass Zaroury.

Liam Rosenior fits Sunderland’s profile

Now the decision has been made, Rosenior will no doubt be looking ahead to his next challenge, and he would appear to be a good fit for Sunderland.

The ex-Derby coach has a clear philosophy and view on the game, as he wants his teams to keep the ball, play in a stylish manner, and attack.

At times, Hull lacked penetration, but that can be put down to the absence of a natural top-class striker at this level, as the Tigers struggled without Liam Delap as he missed months through injury.

Nevertheless, the approach was clear, and Rosenior is someone who won’t abandon them moving forward.

As well as that, he has proven himself to be a coach that understands younger players and what they want.

Carvalho has explained that Rosenior was the reason he joined Hull over rival clubs, and it’s not a coincidence that Man City decided to send Delap to the MKM Stadium, and why Jaden Philogene opted to make the switch to Hull when leaving Aston Villa.

The improvement in Philogene, along with centre-back Jacob Greaves, are examples of how Rosenior is also a talented coach.

Again, this is massive for Sunderland. The model they use requires youngsters to develop, in order for them to be sold on for profit, with the funds then helping bring in more exciting additions.

So, Rosenior having a proven track record at doing just that with players in the Championship, works massively in his favour.

Furthermore, having spent the past 18 months as a head coach in the second tier, along with that time at Derby as a coach, Rosenior won’t need time to adapt to English football as some other candidates for the role may do.

Of course, Rosenior is still relatively inexperienced in terms of his managerial career, and he will no doubt acknowledge that he did make some errors at Hull, which is going to happen.

Yet, his time with the Tigers will have only enhanced his reputation within the game, and his availability this week is sure to have alerted potential suitors.

Sunderland announced in February that Mike Dodds was interim boss for the rest of the season, so they will have spent the past few months analysing candidates for the role, and there’s no doubt a shortlist of preferred contenders.

But, Rosenior’s surprise exit could disrupt that, as he ticks a lot of boxes for Sunderland, and he has to come under serious consideration now he is a realistic option.