The Football League Paper

says... Mowbray’s Rovers show way forward

AS SUNDERLAND prepare for life in League One, they can perhaps take some heart from the Blackburn Rovers revival this term. Rovers also had a steep fall from grace, sliding from the Premier League to the third tier in quick time. They became a laughing stock under Indian owners Venky’s and it looked as though they were on the road to nowhere.

But appointing Tony Mowbray as manager was one decision they did get right. Although he couldn’t save them from relegation last term, he reshaped the squad in the summer, made some shrewd purchases, notably goalscoring midfielder Bradley Dack, and got them firing again.

They marched to promotion, clinched with a 1-0 win at Doncaster in midweek, and can look forward to life back in the Championship next term with optimism.

After a sticky spell with Coventry, Mowbray has shown again what a good manager he is and not many would begrudge him success. He’s down to earth and tells it like it is, but there’s no doubt he knows how to organise and prepare a football team.

Sunderland fans will be hoping that Chris Coleman can do a job similar to the one former Middlesbrough boss Mowbray has done at Blackburn.

As Glenn Moore points out in his column on page 13, whoever the Sunderland manager is next term, he is going to need backing from the owner. Whether Ellis Short is prepared to do that remains to be seen and a takeover would appear the Black Cats’ best bet of turning over a new leaf.

Coleman may well be regretting taking the job following his Wales exploits over the last few years, but you would hope he sticks with the Black Cats and tries to get them back up again. If anyone can turn the listing ship around, you’d back him to do it.