"A lot of pros to him" - Sunderland links to QPR manager Marti Cifuentes welcomed | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sunderland have produced another name in the club's protracted search for a new figure to take the hot seat at the Stadium of Light.

At one stage it seemed that Will Still was to be the natural successor following his departure by mutual consent from Reims, but he later rejected the switch after reportedly agreeing to take over, sending the club into a scramble to find a new boss.

The latest name to emerge in this saga is Marti Cifuentes, via journalist Alan Nixon's Patreon, who led current club Queens Park Rangers to survival last term.

Sunderland links to QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes welcomed

Evaluating the news that Cifuentes has been linked with the job on Wearside, Football League World's Sunderland fan pundit Jack Austwicke is pretty positive compared to the news that St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson was a potential contender.

"The thing that Marti Cifuentes has got that Pascal Jansen hasn’t, who seems to be the leading favourite at the moment, is Championship experience,"Jack said when speaking to FLW.

“Obviously he came in at QPR, who looked pretty doomed. They weren’t as far gone as Sheffield Wednesday, for example, but they were in big, big, big trouble, and he got them right out of it and got them into a fairly decent position.

“They were playing very well, you know, there’s a lot of pros to him as a manager. “Obviously, Liam Rosenior has got that Championship experience and did finish up in a high position, but you’d argue he’s got a ten times better squad.

“If they are the three candidates, then I think we’ve finally got a decent pool for once, but I'm not too sure how strong the Marti Cifuentes links are.”

Sunderland need to end manager saga as quickly as possible

Although a decision on a new boss is not a call to be rushed into, the Black Cats need to put an end to their manager saga as quickly as they possibly can.

With each target that passes them by, faith from fans in the decision-makers' long-term plans will slowly begin to fade, and the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light could turn sour.

The recent message from owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus posted on social media was smart communication and may settle some worries for the time being, but the situation needs to be brought to a conclusion soon.

The opening of the transfer window is just days away, and it will be difficult to plan for incoming players if there is still no clarity on a new manager.

This means that other teams will be able to steal a march on players Sunderland may have targeted, but it may also make concluding new signings difficult if the Black Cats' situation begins to look too messy from the outside.

As Jack says, both Liam Rosenior and Cifuentes have respectable track records in the second tier, meaning both are worthy targets. Whoever they opt for, Sunderland need to conclude their search promptly, or else it risks spiralling out of control.