STEVEN FLETCHER feels Sunderland cannot afford to hang around too long before appointing a permanent head coach - even if Dick Advocaat decides to walk away from the club next week.

Advocaat has worked wonders in keeping the Black Cats in the Premier League during his nine-match stint but is due to take charge of his final game at Chelsea tomorrow.

The players would all like to see the Dutchman stay at the helm for a further year in the hope of building on the fantastic team spirit which he has brought to the training ground and inside the dressing room.

That has been reflected in performances and by the fact that Sunderland have claimed 12 points from the eight games he has in charge; they had won just one of their previous 12 games before his arrival.

The mood bodes well for next season but, having experienced short term lifts under both Paolo Di Canio and Gus Poyet before things turned sour in their first full seasons in charge, there is a need to ensure chairman Ellis Short does not take too much of a gamble this time.

Fletcher said: “This summer is massive for us because we need to find a way of getting stability and improvement. We have been struggling in the last few games of the last few seasons, so hopefully whatever manager comes in can steady the ship and we can get points early on.

“There will be a new manager regardless – even if it is the manager we have now – and that new manager will want to bring in his own men as well as get rid of some I’d imagine.

“But it has to be their team. The new manager has been coming in to the club and has had to work with someone else’s team. It is important we get the manager in from day one and he is satisfied with what he has got to work with.”

Advocaat has endeared himself to the players with his laid back approach on the training ground and in the way he prepares for games, even though he still demands the best from those he has got top performances out of.

Fletcher has found his feet again under Advocaat, like so many members of the squad, and for that reason he would like to see the Dutch boss stay at the Stadium of Light – even if he fears his mind is already made up.

“He has been great since he came in,” said Fletcher. “He has got us how he wanted us to play and it has shown by the points we have got on the board.

“He is a very passionate man and we have seen that in training and in games. He has been great with the players. It would be nice if he stayed on but I think he has already made up his mind that he is not going to take it.

“If he did take it he would be brilliant for us. You have seen in the games under him we have really improved. As players we will try our best to keep him over the next few days.

“He has warmed to all of the players and we have seen that in training. He got emotional at Arsenal too, so we will see because leading this club has clearly affected him.”