Mogga’s contract was extended until 2025 this week, so we asked our writers for their thoughts on whether this is a good decision for the club.
According to Joseph Tulip…
This is fantastic news for us on a number of fronts, not least because Mowbray is a proven head coach at this level with a track record of developing young players.
His Middlesbrough links may have even worked in our favor, as he understands North East football and thus came into the job fully aware of Sunderland’s standing in the game as a club with a rich history and enormous future potential.
Mowbray’s stay feels somewhat soothing as an old-school football man who has obviously adapted with the times. We feel secure in the hands of a wise old head at the helm, someone who clearly enjoys dealing with young players and growing a team.
Mogga, like his new captain Luke O’Nien, has bonded with the fans and was overjoyed when my wife Jayne presented him with a box of Jaffa Cakes during a recent talk-in event.
I understand there was doubt around his future over the summer, but Kristjaan Speakman has stated that talk linking Mowbray with a transfer away from the club was never true.
Is there no smoke without fire? Who knows for sure, but I’m inclined to believe the people in charge of our football club, who have backed up their remark with a new contract for Mowbray.
I’m also glad that Speakman has given the team another season with little expectation, so let’s rally behind Mowbray and his team as they continue to grow – and enjoy the football being played on the field.
According to Kelvin Beattie…
This was a pleasant surprise for me.
I, like many others, was unimpressed by his hiring, picturing him as a flat-capped football dinosaur with little managerial success.
However, it didn’t take long for me to realize my blunder, which was most likely colored by his spell at Celtic.
His successful tenure at Hibernian, West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers, and Sunderland were all defined by a pacy, ‘tika taka’-style of fluid football and the development of a good mix of young aspiring players.
The extension is a token of appreciation for a job well done. It does provide some consistency and provides a positive message not only to the playing squad but also to the supporters.
Given where the club is and where it wants to be, Mowbray’s ability to operate and prosper within the’model’ plus his knack for working with and mentoring young players has been a match made in heaven.
There are difficulties (what workplace doesn’t? ), but he appears to handle them well, with frank composure and a touch of mild humour.
I hope the extension included provisions for a Cadbury’s finest bar or two, since he deserves it!
According to Malc Dugdale…
I believe it is the best move for Mowbray and Sunderland.
We recently injected another injection of youth into the squad during the summer, and he’s the perfect person to mold and appraise that over the next eighteen months and beyond.
He clearly enjoys nurturing and developing young stars, and he has been doing it for quite some time.
Although he may not be the ideal head coach for us if we are promoted in the near future, he has done enough to warrant the club’s trust.
If he gets us up this season, he deserves a chance to demonstrate what he’s capable of in the Premier League. There have been and will be worse coaches at the highest level, and the team appears to love working with him.
We’re in a good spot, and supporters are witnessing some of our best football in years. Why fix something that isn’t broken?
About The Author
Leave a Reply