SUNDERLAND’S season has crumbled and any hopes of a second successive top six finish have disappeared, but once they’ve negotiated the final eight games of the campaign, the Black Cats will move into a decisive summer.

So what are the key questions that need answering on and off the pitch? What is there to play for in the final weeks of the season? Who should get the head coach job? And what does the future look like for Mike Dodds?

Scott Wilson and Dom Shaw discuss:

What are the key questions that need answering on and off the pitch in the final weeks of the season and in the summer?

Scott Wilson: Where do we start? Clearly, the identity of the new permanent head coach is the biggest conundrum heading into the final weeks of the season, and having got things so spectacularly wrong with the appointment of Michael Beale, Kristjaan Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus cannot afford to make another mistake. Sunderland’s summer transfer business will also be crucial. Will Jack Clarke leave? What about Anthony Patterson, Dan Ballard or Dan Neil? And if Sunderland do sell a prize asset, can Speakman and Louis-Dreyfus be trusted to reinvest the money wisely?

Dom Shaw: Who will be the next head coach? That's clearly the first matter that needs resolving in the summer, with Sunderland chiefs now under pressure to deliver after the Michael Beale disaster. It would help Sunderland no end if an appointment was made early in the summer and with months to prepare, there's no reason that shouldn't be the case.

The Black Cats would also benefit from clarity on the Jack Clarke situation, though that is more likely to rumble on throughout the summer. Another question that needs answering this summer, and it's a familiar one: can they sign a striker who'll score goals?

Have Sunderland’s play-off hopes completely disappeared? And are they in danger of getting sucked into the relegation battle?

SW: Yes – and no. With a 13-point gap currently separating them from the play-offs, Sunderland could conceivably win all eight of their remaining matches and still not finish in the top six. Their recent form suggests they’re not going to win eight out of eight – at the moment, getting one win on the board would be something of an achievement – so promotion can be written off entirely. Similarly, though, it’s hard to see them being sucked into trouble at the bottom. They’re nine points clear of the drop zone as things stand, and will surely pick up enough points to prevent that gap from shrinking too dramatically.

DS: Any hopes of a second successive top six finish have undoubtedly disappeared but Sunderland surely won't get dragged into the battle below. They're nine points above the bottom three and while that gap will soon close if the Black Cats continue in their recent form, the home games against Blackburn and Bristol City provide an opportunity to lift the mood. Jack Clarke will also return before the season is out.

What issues need addressing if Sunderland are to get back on track and put to an end to their recent run of results?

SW: They need to start scoring goals, and to that end, the return of Jack Clarke should be vital. At various stages of the season, it has felt as though Sunderland have pretty much been a one-man team, and their struggles in Clarke’s absence have only strengthened the validity of that assessment. If the Black Cats can get both Clarke and Patrick Roberts back on the pitch after the international break, their effectiveness in the final third should increase dramatically.

DS: Sunderland have failed to score in three of their last four games, with the strikers continuing to disappoint and Clarke's absence sorely felt, as was always likely to be the case. Clarke's return will be huge and it also feels as though Sunderland would benefit from Dodds settling on a system and an approach.

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What does the future hold for Mike Dodds?

SW: It’s surely now inconceivable that he could be considered for the head coach job on a permanent basis. That said, though, he’s had plenty to contend with in the last few weeks and just because he’s struggled to fill the hole created by Beale’s departure, that doesn’t mean he’s a bad coach. He’ll remain part of the first-team set-up whoever is appointed in the summer, and should be able to provide some valuable insight to his full-time successor.

DS: He's been dealt a bad hand in recent weeks, tasked with picking up the scattered pieces after Beale's problematic tenure while also having to cope with the absence of Clarke. He surely won't be in contention to get the gig on a permanent deal but Dodds is popular in the dressing room and still has a huge amount to offer in the Sunderland coaching team. That said, Beale would have likely benefited from having his own coaching team in place and it would aid the next head coach if he's able to bring in some of his backroom staff.

Who should get the manager’s job?

SW: It’s pretty clear the next permanent manager isn’t going to be Mike Dodds, so you’d like to think Sunderland’s executive team have a pretty good idea of what they’re going to do come the end of the season. After the Michael Beale experiment went so badly wrong, you’d imagine there’s a good chance the club will opt to look overseas this summer, bringing in the kind of young, innovative head coach that would appear to fit with Kristjaan Speakman’s overarching ‘project’. Will Still? He’d appear to tick most of the boxes, but can Sunderland meet his demands? You’d like to think so as there surely needs to be a statement of ambition when it comes to the identity of the club’s next boss.

DS: The hope after Tony Mowbray’s exit was that Sunderland had something up their sleeve. It quickly became apparent that wasn’t the case. After months to prepare, they can’t afford another underwhelming appointment. Could Sunderland tempt Steve Cooper back into the Championship? He did a tremendous job at Nottingham Forest and is a leading light when it comes to working with young players. He’d be a statement appointment.

Where do you predict Sunderland will finish?

SW: 14th

DS: 13th