Sunderland manager search latest: Steve Cooper boost, Alex Neil talk, Mike Dodds update | OneFootball

Sunderland are on the hunt for a new manager following the sacking of Michael Beale.

Beale only arrived at the Stadium of Light in December, replacing Tony Mowbray, but he struggled to win over fans who were unconvinced by his appointment.

The 43-year-old won just four of his 12 games in charge, drawing two and losing six, and with the club drifting away from the play-off places under his guidance, the board decided to act.

Mike Dodds has been placed in interim charge until the end of the season, but he suffered disappointment in his first game as his side were beaten 2-1 at home by Swansea City on Saturday.

Sunderland currently sit 10th in the table, eight points from the top six, and they are back in action when they make the trip to face in-form Norwich City at Carrow Road on Saturday.

As Dodds continues his latest caretaker spell, we rounded up all the latest on the Black Cats' search for Beale's permanent successor.

Mike Dodds update

Dodds is currently in his third stint as interim head coach, having previously performed the role following the departures of Lee Johnson and Mowbray.

The 37-year-old enjoyed a successful spell at the helm after Mowbray's dismissal in December, leading his side to two wins from three games.

According to journalist Alan Nixon, Dodds could be handed the job permanently in the summer if he impresses between now and the end of the season.

Dodds is said to have a close relationship with Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, who "will have a major say on the decision", and his excellent track record of developing young players could make him a good fit for the club.

It was a tough start for Dodds on Saturday, and he faces some difficult upcoming fixtures, including Norwich, Leicester City and Southampton, but he insists he is confident his side can still make the top six.

"There are still 12 games to go and I am going to be really naturally optimistic because I know we have some really good players," Dodds told The Northern Echo.

"The result today isn't going to help the push for the top six but we still have 12 games to go, I'm still confident in the way we work, I'm still confident in terms of the group we've got."

It will be a big challenge for Dodds to lead the Black Cats to the play-offs, but should he achieve that goal, he would surely have a strong chance of landing the full-time job.

Former boss interested in shock return

Many Sunderland supporters were hugely disappointed when former manager Alex Neil left the club to join Stoke City last August, just weeks into the Championship season.

Neil had only been in charge at the Stadium of Light since February, and he did an outstanding job, guiding the club to promotion from League One via the play-offs.

It was a surprise move by Neil to make the switch to Stoke, and it did not work out for him at the bet365 Stadium.

Neil led the Potters to an underwhelming 16th-placed finish last season, and he was sacked in December with the club sitting just outside the relegation zone.

However, with the Sunderland job available once again, Nixon claims that Neil is "open" to a potential return.

Neil would be a controversial appointment, and it remains to be seen whether owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus would risk causing further discontent in the fan base after the Beale disaster, while his poor record at Stoke raises questions about whether he would be the right man for the job.

Potential Steve Cooper boost

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are keen on former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper.

Cooper did an outstanding job at the City Ground, leading Forest to promotion to the Premier League in 2022 before securing survival in the top flight last season.

The Welshman was sacked in December with the club sliding towards the relegation zone, but he is likely to have no shortage of suitors over the coming months.

Cooper was linked with Crystal Palace, but the Eagles instead opted to appoint Oliver Glasner, and journalist Dean Jones does not expect him to be in the running for the West Ham United job if the Hammers part company with David Moyes in the summer.

"At the moment, I don't think Steve Cooper is going to be in that conversation, but I can see why people would expect him to be," Jones told GiveMeSport.

"Perhaps further down the line, if they were to be looking at options and they weren't falling into place, I think he could emerge as an option.

"But, at the moment, I'm not being told that Steve Cooper is a candidate at all.

"I think that they are looking at someone who has got elite qualities in the game, primarily."

The Black Cats will face plenty of competition for Cooper's signature, but having fewer Premier League sides in the race certainly gives them a better chance.