McInnes should wait – not jump at the Black Cats

BRENDAN RODGERS insisted it was all about timing when he talked earlier this month of how Derek McInnes got his fingers burned at Bristol City.

And that is why the Aberdeen boss will have to think carefully if Sunderland come calling for the man the bookies see as favourite to replace Davie Moyes.

Bristol City. A club with big potential but which had been underachieving and dismissing managers who were forced to work under a tight budget.

The same could be said of the Black Cats with the Stadium of Light gig becoming something of a poisoned chalice in recent years.

Moyes’s predecessors had been continually fighting fires before the Scot became the man to finally take them down.

The Wearsiders have now had nine managers in as many years and McInnes is the clear favourite with his former Rangers team-mate and former Mackem Ally McCoist high in the betting.

It’s easy to see why owner Ellis Short and former Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain would want the 45-year-old as he prepares to lead the Dons out at Hampden today for the Scottish Cup Final against Celtic.

And it would be easy for him to jump at the chance of a return to the English Championship.

McInnes couldn’t have done much more in his time at Pittodrie and his job is only going to get tougher with key players set to leave in the summer.

His time has probably come to move on but that doesn’t mean he should take the first offer and history says Sunderland would be the wrong choice.

Rodgers is confident McInnes’s work at Pittodrie will see him get another crack south of the border.

But if it goes badly then it could be his last chance. And then what?

Moyes claimed he wouldn’t even have taken the job in the first place if

He can continue building at Pittodrie and better chances will arise

he’d realised there would be so little money to spend on players.

The former Everton and Manchester United boss said: “Managing Sunderland always had an appeal to me.

“But if I’d known about the financial situation then I’d have needed to look at it in a different way.”

McInnes would have to weigh up the lure of lucrative pay against the risk of damage to his ever-growing reputation.

He was sacked by Bristol City after little over a year in charge, departing with the Robins languishing at the foot of the second tier.

The lifespan of Sunderland managers is even shorter.

And experienced gaffers such as Steve Bruce, Mick McCarthy and Martin O’Neill all found it tough going on Wearside. Sunderland deserve to be in the big time and the man who takes them back there – Roy Keane was the last a decade ago – will be hailed a legend by fans but it’s going to be a tough ask.

And with the club up for sale what kind of funds will be available to make it happen?

The expectation at Sunderland remains massive but they have been stuck in a cycle of bad results and off-field turmoil.

McInnes isn’t in a desperate rush to move and it’s not a situation he needs at this stage in his managerial career.

He can continue building at Pittodrie and better opportunities will arise.

Particularly if he can lead Aberdeen to their first Scottish Cup success in 17 years at Hampden today.