The trip had just come to an end; Tony Mowbray had no one in place when the co-owner fired him in the summer despite his inability to provide possible successors.
Tony Mowbray did a “fantastic job in galvanizing the club” and was “well respected” by both Sunderland players and supporters.
Returning the Favor by Appointing a Superb New Manager Before the Season
The club has acknowledged that Sunderland and head coach Tony Mowbray are no longer together. Tonight, the Black Cats made the announcement that Mowbray and his longtime assistant Mark Venus had left the team. Mike Dodds, the first team coach, has taken over as interim manager.
Despite a record that featured just two victories in their previous nine games, Mowbray departs Sunderland with the team lying ninth in the Championship and just three points outside the play-off spots. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman made remarks that were included in the official release, stating that Sunderland took the choice to fire Mowbray.
Although Clarke’s agent, former Black Cats defender Ian Harte, stated this week that his client likes it at Sunderland and does not expect him to go in the New Year unless the Black Cats receive an offer too good to refuse down, Clarke’s form is sure to draw interest when the January window opens.
Although Clarke, who was then 18 years old, cost Tottenham Hotspur £10 million when he was acquired by Leeds United in 2019, Mowbray believes that a bid of more than £20 million would be necessary to convince Clarke to leave Sunderland.
While the Black Cats are currently looking for Mowbray’s replacement as head coach, his analysis of Clarke’s circumstances is still pertinent as we approach the January transfer window.
Premier League Burnley made a bid of about £10 million for Sunderland’s Clarke during the summer, but the 23-year-old has since scored ten goals in 19 games to become the team’s mainstay in their Championship play-off push, so their asking price has likely increased.
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