Sunderland legend urges Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to think twice before appointing Will Still

It is recommended that Sunderland refrain from appointing Will Still as their new manager this summer.

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday at home to end the 2023–24 season, Sunderland can now move forward with their managerial search.

With the Black Cats finishing in 16th place and Mike Dodds ending his interim tenure with just two wins from 13 games—nine points out of a possible 39—that loss was indicative of the entire season. Since the beginning of 2024, only Rotherham United has collected fewer points than Sunderland.

Additionally, Sunderland’s season has coincidentally coincided with Still’s departure from Reims as a managerial target.

At the beginning of May, the 31-year-old English-Belgian coach decided to part ways with Reims after three straight losses and five games without a victory.

The president of Reims’ club stated that since Still was connected to Sunderland soon after Tony Mowbray left the Stadium of Light, things at the team have been a “nightmare.”

Social media users are beginning to speculate that Still will take over as Sunderland’s manager in the near future. However, club legend Marco Gabbiadini has urged the Black Cats to reconsider before appointing the youthful manager.

Sunderland’s Marco Gabbiadini is advising against Will Still

Former Sunderland striker and current BBC pundit Gabbiadini commented on the Still to Sunderland rumours while speaking on Total Sport.

“I’m just not sure about Will Still, whether he is the kind of person who, as a young manager at a club with a fan base that is desperate for success, handles that as a young manager at a place where the fan base voices its concerns in the most outward way imaginable in football,” the man said, casting doubt on the experience of the former Reims boss.

“People’s opinions are expressed by the Sunderland crowd, and personally, I would like to gain more experience.”

The reason behind Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ self-inflicted injury at Sunderland

It appears that Louis-Dreyfus is adamant about appointing a coach who is young and modern and can captivate the supporters, much like Still.

As the Michael Beale fallout earlier this season demonstrated, winning over the fans to the next appointment is also essential.

However, as Gabbiadini notes, there are risks associated with hiring a manager with such a lack of experience, and Louis-Dreyfus might now have put himself in a difficult situation with regard to this next appointment.

Being so intent on appointing a Still-type manager, Sunderland would undoubtedly be disappointed if they now hired a tried-and-true manager, such as Paul Heckingbottom, since it’s not a Still or even a Rene Maric-type hire.

It now appears as though Louis-Dreyfus and Sunderland will have to take a chance on an inexperienced coach and hope and pray that they can handle the pressure should things get difficult.

In the event that the appointment backfires and Still and Sunderland don’t click, Louis-Dreyfus and the team’s entire “vision” will be viewed with even more contempt.

In any case, it will be fascinating to observe what transpires on Wearside come summertime.