"I believe" - Pundit expects Will Still to be named new Sunderland manager | OneFootball

Pundit Carlton Palmer expects Will Still to be named as the new Sunderland manager following his exit from French side Reims, and he believes he would be an excellent appointment for the Black Cats.

Sunderland made the controversial decision to sack Tony Mowbray in December despite sitting just outside the play-off places at the time, replacing him with Michael Beale, and it is fair to say the move did not work out.

Beale was an unpopular appointment among Black Cats supporters, and he was sacked in February after winning just four of his 12 games in charge, with Mike Dodds taking over as interim head coach until the end of the season.

Dodds enjoyed a strong spell as caretaker after Mowbray's exit, but he has found it much tougher this time around, winning only two of his 12 games in charge so far, drawing three and losing seven.

A host of names have been linked with the Sunderland job since Beale's departure, including Alex Neil, Marek Papszun, Paul Heckingbottom, Steve Cooper, Will Still, Roy Keane, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, Scott Parker, Danny Rohl, Jermain Defoe and Rene Maric.

Journalist Alan Nixon claimed in March that Heckingbottom was the club's first choice, but there has been little progress since then, while The Northern Echo reported this week that the Black Cats are closely monitoring the situation of Sheffield Wednesday manager Rohl, who is set to hold talks with owner Dejphon Chansiri over his future at Hillsborough.

However, Sunderland have held a long-standing interest in Still, and after it was announced on Thursday that he has left his role as head coach of Reims, the 31-year-old would be available to make the move to Wearside.

Palmer: Will Still would be an exciting appointment for Sunderland

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer revealed that he believes it is inevitable Still will now become the new Sunderland manager after his exit from Reims, and he backed him to deliver success at the Stadium of Light.

"Sunderland are still managerless," Palmer said.

"Their number one target previously was Will Still, who was manager of Reims.

"He has now parted company with Reims, a statement has been release that he's left by mutual consent.

"He was the number one target, I believe that talks did take place between Will Still's representatives and Sunderland, but they were unable to come to an agreement, that's when Tony Mowbray left and they appointed Mick Beale. "They have then gone the rest of the season without a manager, so it's clear that their target was Will Still. "I expect to see him appointed manager of Sunderland in the coming weeks, I think that's clear to see. "He was their number one target, obviously talks didn't go the way that both parties had wanted initially, but he would not have stepped down from Reims if there was nothing in the pipeline. "He's a talented manager, he's done a fantastic job at Reims. "He has to be given the tools to do the job, and he's in a very strong position because he's very coveted, so he's in a very strong position to demand what he wants. "He's a young manager, who will work with young players, and I think this is a great opportunity and it would be a good signing for Sunderland going forward.

"It would be a huge boost for Sunderland if they can get this over the line, he's got a terrific future ahead of him as he's already proven."

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus must make swift Sunderland manager appointment

It is difficult to disagree with Palmer that it now seems likely Still will be the next Sunderland manager.

Still has been a long-term target for the Black Cats, and the fact he is now available means that the club would no longer have to pay the reported compensation fee of around €5m to Reims for his services, which significantly increases the chances of him landing the job.

There are still other candidates in the frame, and the likes of Heckingbottom and Rohl both represent good options, but Still would be the most suited to Sunderland's policy of developing young players, and having proven himself in one of Europe's top leagues, he would be a strong choice.

After an incredibly disappointing second half of the season, and a lengthy managerial search, there is huge pressure on owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to get this appointment right.

With uncertainty over the futures of key players such as Anthony Patterson, Jobe Bellingham and Jack Clarke, it is essential that Louis-Dreyfus makes a quick decision ahead of what looks set to be a crucial summer for the club.