Sunderland take action in race with Birmingham City for ex-Hull City boss Liam Rosenior | OneFootball

Sunderland have taken action in their pursuit of Hull City boss Liam Rosenior, according to Football Insider.

The Black Cats are still searching for a permanent replacement for Michael Beale, who was sacked in February, after appointing interim boss Mike Dodds until the end of the season.

That decision brought little success as the Wearsiders finished the season in hugely disappointing style – winning just two of their 13 games under Dodds and sliding to a 16th-place finish after having held serious play-off aspirations earlier in the campaign.

Sunderland register interest in Liam Rosenior

With the Championship season in the books for Sunderland, appointing a new boss is now their top priority and it seems they've identified a new target.

Football Insider has reported that they have now registered their interest in Rosenior after his MKM Stadium departure.

The 39-year-old was sacked by Hull owner Acun Ilicali after the Tigers finished one place and three points outside the play-offs, with the Turkish media mogul since suggesting that his decision was based upon disagreements over style of play.

Rosenior's stock remains very high despite his Hull exit and EFL clubs are queueing up to bring him in.

Birmingham City are understood to be interested in the former Tigers boss and it is thought Sunderland are set to battle them for the appointment.

Liam Rosenior did a good job at Hull City

The decision to sack Rosenior came as a shock to many as the ex-Hull player has done a good job at his former club.

When he took charge, they were scrapping down in the bottom half of the Championship and, though admittedly he has been backed significantly in the transfer market, there is no doubt that the former Derby County boss did well to have them battling for a place in the play-offs.

But Ilicali's apparent frustrations over style of play are justified. While Rosenior introduced a possession-heavy ideology, it often lacked incision in the final third, feeling like possession for possession's sake, and was reliant on individual brilliance to win games.

That can be effective but when it doesn't work, it can also be a stale and frustrating watch, which is something that Sunderland fans must bear in mind.

We know that the Black Cats' strategy is built around developing young players and Rosenior certainly has a good record there, helping the likes of Eiran Cashin, Jason Knight and Max Bird at Derby as well as Jacob Greaves, Jaden Philogene, and Matty Jacob at Hull.

Alternatives to Liam Rosenior for Sunderland

A host of other names have been linked with the Sunderland job.

Will Still, who left Reims at the end of the season, was interviewed by the Black Cats previously and has been named in reports as their first choice option.

Elsewhere, former Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom is another name that has been linked while Swedish coach Bo Svensson is a leftfield name that is thought to be of interest to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and co.

You'd expect a decision to be made sooner rather than later to allow the new coach to settle in ahead of the summer transfer window and pre-season.

If that's Rosenior, it would mean a quick turnaround given his Hull sacking only came earlier this month.