“Too early” - Wes Brown makes Tony Mowbray claim after Sunderland departure | OneFootball

Former Sunderland defender Wes Brown believes that Tony Mowbray should have been given more time at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland struggle after Tony Mowbray’s exit

The 60-year-old was named as Alex Neil’s replacement in 2022, and he enjoyed a brilliant first season in charge of the Black Cats, as they reached the play-offs playing some exciting, attacking football.

Therefore, it was hoped Sunderland could push for promotion again in this campaign, but the board decided to sack Mowbray in December, when the side were ninth in the table, although they were just three points away from the top six.

It’s a decision that backfired spectacularly, as Michael Beale was brought in as Mowbray’s successor, but he lasted just two months.

Now, Mike Dodds is leading the team for the remainder of the season, but Sunderland are 12th, and 13 points away from the play-offs with eight games to go, so another year in the Championship beckons.

Wes Brown: With hindsight, Sunderland got Tony Mowbray’s sacking wrong

Naturally, people will look to Mowbray’s dismissal as a key moment of the season, as Sunderland were still in the mix to finish in the top six, and they had a manager who had proven he could deliver success.

Plus, the brand of football the side played was enjoyable to watch, something which they have not rediscovered since his exit.

So, it was a bold call, and Brown, who made 87 appearances for Sunderland in his playing days, explained his feeling that Mowbray deserved more time.

“He’s a very experienced coach, where he’s been. He knows what he’s doing and Sunderland were getting there or thereabouts. I think nowadays, in football in general, the expectations are very high.

“Tony was putting on a good show, he was getting what he needed out of the players, and sometimes that’s all you can ask for. Yes, you want the transfers and key players brought in, but that doesn’t always happen.

“In hindsight, you can look at it and say yeah, he was let go too early, but we don’t know what’s happened behind closed doors, but when you’re being promised one thing, and something else is happening, it doesn’t necessarily work out.”

Sunderland prepare for huge summer

Following on from that, there’s real pressure on the board to get this next appointment right, and it will be interesting to see who is brought in during the summer.

Despite their struggles, the Black Cats job is still a really attractive one. They are a massive club, they have talented young players in the squad, and they should be capable of competing with most in the league.

Along with the new head coach, it’s going to be a critical transfer window for the club, as there’s a chance that Jack Clarke will move on, so he will need to be replaced, which obviously won’t be easy, even if he commands a substantial fee.

There’s a lot of work to do over the coming months, and the hierarchy needs to get things right.