SUNDERLAND fans continue to await news on an interim boss to steer the managerless side through while recruiting for a permanent manager goes on behind the scenes.

The Black Cats relieved Lee Johnson of his duties on Sunday evening with an interim structure to be announced in due course. However, with three days before this weekend when they face Doncaster Rovers, an announcement is yet to be made.

Training was taken yesterday by first-team coach Phil Jevons and unless a successor to Johnson is appointed before Saturday, it’s likely he will take first team duties on a temporary basis.

Former Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock emerged as a candidate yesterday after he exclusively told the Northern Echo he would be interested in taking the manager’s job until the end of the season.

Alex Neil, Duncan Ferguson and Neil Lennon have all emerged as candidates in the last few days.

Sunderland owner Kyril Louis Dreyfus confirmed the search for a new manager got underway yesterday after a busy end to the January transfer window the night before. 

He told TalkSport: “We’ll give it the appropriate time it takes to find the appropriate candidate.

“What we are doing is that we are definitely working on it and speaking to many people. We’ve had huge interest from all over the world. Every country with a lot of managers so we were overwhelmed to be honest. But we will make sure we do the process diligently to find the right person.”

Warnock would fit the bill for a short-term appointment where he would be tasked with steering the club to promotion. The process of a long-term appointment may well take a bit longer.