The Contenders: Who should get the Sunderland manager job?

Short has already worked with seven different ones over the last seven years, so he has had plenty of practice to come up with the right man when he is weighing up a list of candidates to work on.

Sporting director Lee Congerton, who is set to leave the club sooner rather than later after handing in his notice, is leading the search for a replacement and there would be something wrong if Brendan Rodgers’ name didn’t figure on the list following his sacking at Liverpool.

How easy it would be to persuade Rodgers to take over a club constantly in relegation trouble, however, is another thing. Short’s ambitions for the club will be what interested contenders want to hear if it actually gets down to sitting down with the American owner.

Whether Rodgers, Sam Allardyce, Sean Dyche or someone else becomes the preferred candidate for the Sunderland job, there will be clearly some persuading to be done by Short after so many years of constant change and struggle just to stay in the Premier League. The contenders:

SAM ALLARDYCE
Age: 60
Clubs managed: Limerick, Blackpool, Notts County, Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn, West Ham
Odds: 11/10

Pros: Someone with his experience knows what it takes to keep a team in the Premier League having successfully done so in his last four jobs. The former Sunderland defender is a free agent after leaving West Ham and would be well received by the majority of fans on Wearside.

Cons: If there is a criticism of Allardyce then it is the style of football his teams tend to play, like it annoyed fans of both West Ham and Newcastle. That said, though, the Hammers played some lovely football under him in the first half of last season. It would also mean a change of approach from the club, as he would look to bring in a big backroom team and have the major say on transfers.

SEAN DYCHE
Age: 44
Clubs managed: Watford, Burnley
Odds: 7/2

Pros: He is viewed as one of the country’s brightest young managers for the success he has had in his first two front-line manager roles. He was unfortunate to lose his job at Watford following a takeover, but then guided Burnley to promotion and hopes to repeat the achievement this year.

Cons: Despite leading Burnley to the Premier League in April 2014, the former Football League defender was unable to keep the Clarets in the top-flight after the first year. He signed a new contract in June 2015 so Sunderland will have to negotiate with Burnley for his release. He does not have a proven record of signing foreign talent.

NIGEL PEARSON
Age: 52
Clubs managed: Carlisle, Southampton, Leicester City, Hull City, Leicester City
Odds: 9/2

Pros: The former Middlesbrough defender and Newcastle coach has shown, particularly in his last few roles, that he is more than capable of getting a team playing well. The way he kept Leicester up last season before being replaced was hugely impressive and many of his signings have got the Foxes ticking again this season.

Cons: He is a controversial figure, who has never been afraid to speak his mind. His actions got him in to trouble on a couple of occasions last season and he is perceived as a hardline character who would certainly ruffle a few feathers.

BRENDAN RODGERS
Age: 42
Clubs managed: Watford, Reading, Swansea, Liverpool
Odds: 6/1

Pros: The Northern Irishman has a reputation for getting his teams playing expansive and attractive football and, despite his departure from Liverpool, he showed during his time with Swansea and Watford that he is also capable of turning a side’s fortunes around. He is a free agent too despite leading the Reds to within a whisker of the Premier League title in May 2014.

Cons: Ellis Short could find it hard to persuade Rodgers to return to management so quickly after losing his job at Liverpool. Rodgers would also still fancy himself as a manager capable of managing a club challenging for Champions League football, even if that could mean him going abroad.

MICHAEL LAUDRUP
Age: 51
Clubs managed: Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow, Mallorca, Swansea, Lekhwiya
Odds: 10/1

Pros: Another name who has the potential to excite fans initially and he had Swansea playing lovely football in the Premier League after succeeding Rodgers at the Liberty Stadium. He seems certain to return to the Premier League at some point and is currently managing in the Middle East with a desire to one day return to a big league in Europe.

Cons: The former Real Madrid and Barcelona forward is understood to have left Swansea after disagreements over transfer policy and he had just had enough. Much of his success at Swansea was down to taking over a club which already had a well-performing model in place, whereas there is a feeling that the new boss at Sunderland is starting from scratch near enough.

PATRICK VIEIRA
Age: 39
Clubs managed: None
Odds: 14/1

Pros: He was the name which got Newcastle fans excited when he was considered for the job at St James’ Park and someone with his world profile could have a similar impact at the Stadium of Light. The Frenchman would be able to attract players to Wearside and he is regarded as a very ambitious and exciting coaching talent.

Cons: The big gamble would be for Sunderland to hand him the challenge of keeping the team up in his very first managerial post. Despite an extensive playing experience which has taken in clubs like Arsenal, Milan and Juventus, his contacts list does not necessarily make him a fantastic top-flight boss.