‘A refreshing change’ – Everton figure named in running for Sunderland job: The verdict

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

Duncan Ferguson has been linked with taking charge at Sunderland following Lee Johnson’s sacking. 

According to the Northern Echo, Ferguson – who has been a coach at Everton for the last seven years and was recently their caretaker boss – has been mentioned in relation to the vacant Black Cats job.

But would he be the right appointment?

Our FLW writers issue their verdicts…

Josh Cole

Although Sunderland cannot afford to dwell when it comes to seeking a replacement for Lee Johnson, handing over the reins to Duncan Ferguson could turn out to be a mistake.

Whilst Ferguson has experienced a taste of what it is like to manage a club during his time at Everton, he has never worked in League One before as a coach.

Keeping this in mind, there is no guarantee that the 50-year-old will be able to guide Sunderland to a relative amount of success if he makes the switch to the Stadium of Light.

Instead of taking a risk on Ferguson, Sunderland ought to be considering making an approach for an individual who knows exactly what it takes to secure promotion from this division.

Declan Harte

Ferguson has worked under the likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez during his time at Everton. He has also taken charge of multiple Premier League games with mixed success.

However, his style of football is very drab. He sticks with the classic English 4-4-2 of yesteryear, which hasn’t quite been the style for top-flight football for some time.

It is also probably not what Sunderland are looking for as they push for a way back to the