Tony Mowbray has been dismissed as Sunderland head coach.

Mowbray, 60 a fortnight ago, was appointed by the club at the end of August last year in the wake of Alex Neil’s decision to leave Sunderland for Stoke City.

Mark Venus, Mowbray’s assistant, has also left. Mike Dodds will take the team for Saturday’s visit of West Bromwich Albion to the Stadium of Light.

Advertisement

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman commented: “All at SAFC have thoroughly enjoyed working with Tony and he is quite rightly held in high regard by our players and staff, and our supporters.

“After arriving at an uncertain time, he helped guide us to the Sky Bet Championship play-offs and played an important role in developing our team. This was a difficult decision to make, but we remain loyal to our ambition and our strategy, and felt that now was the right moment to take this step.

“We are now focused on identifying the right candidate and we will continue to support our coaching team and players throughout the interim period.”

Chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to Tony for his hard work and commitment to Sunderland, a place where he will always be welcome.

“As custodians of our great club, we believe in our long-term strategy that we hope will ensure sustainability and success for SAFC. Central to that approach is a relentless demand for a high performance culture to be implemented throughout the club and the development of a strong playing identity that you, our loyal supporters, can all be proud of.

“Your continued support will also be fundamental to that progress and we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the Stadium of Light throughout the festive period and as we enter 2024.”

After Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Millwall, which followed a home defeat by Huddersfield Town last Wednesday and a 2-0 defeat at promoted Plymouth Argyle, Mowbray could sense the rising volume surrounding his future.

“I live in a world where I get judged on results,” Mowbray said. “But I want these players to be judged on their performance, their work ethic and their desire to be better footballers.

“Of course you get judged every week on the league table so I understand it, three without a win. I’ve always tried to be a development coach, to help the players get better and understand the game better. And hopefully then the results follow. If they don’t, you lose your job. That’s fine, that’s football and I understand it.”

Is this a surprise?

Sunderland have won two and lost five of their last nine matches in the Championship and sit ninth in the table three points off a play-off position. The decision will surprise many nationally but locally and within the club it will be less of a shock.

Advertisement

Even with a contract until June 2025, Mowbray looked vulnerable when towards the end of last season Sunderland were linked with Italian coach Francesco Farioli. The 34-year-old joined Nice instead and has done an impressive job in Ligue 1 this season. Farioli has the profile it is believed the 26-year-old majority owner at Sunderland, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, would like him at the Stadium of Light.

Mowbray has been caught between being a head coach who develops players and a manager who must win matches on a Saturday at a club that is the ninth-best supported in England despite its recent terrible history.

There will be widespread sympathy for a man the fans took to but there have been increasing supporter grumbles about the lack of goals and a perceived over-reliance on Jack Clarke for creativity. This season has been disappointing at times, but hardly dreadful.

To a large extent Mowbray is a victim of his success last season. It was Sunderland’s first in the Championship after four seasons in League One and Mowbray’s squad over-achieved in finishing sixth and reaching the play-offs. They lost to Luton Town over the two-legged semi-final.

Mowbray had to cope with an injury crisis in those play-offs, denying him recognised centre-halves. He also spent much of the season without a striker due to Ross Stewart’s recurring injuries and frequently fielded the youngest team in the Championship.

This season Sunderland have sold Stewart to Southampton for £10million and recruited several players at the £1-2m price range. The players are young and new and it is yet to gel as it did at times last season when Clarke, Patrick Roberts and on-loan Amad produced some vibrant winning football.

Amad returned to parent club Manchester United and the model the club seeks to pursue under owner Louis-Dreyfus means there was to be no significant sum spent on a proven goalscoring striker who could replace Stewart and/or Amad.

(Photo: Dylan Hepworth/MB Media/Getty Images)