Karanka spotting: Big Sam says Sunderland relegation was destined & Moyes airbrushes history

Karanka, where was he headed?

Well, wherever it was he was heading for, Aitor Karanka will have arrived by now. But was the former Middlesbrough boss destined for Sunderland, Glasgow or merely his house in North Yorkshire?

Karanka has been linked with the Black Cats since the moment Simon Grayson was sacked last week and had been one of the bookies’ favourites to succeed David Moyes at the Stadium of Light in the summer.

The Spaniard who managed Middlesbrough for three-and-a-half years could equally have been headed to any other club with a current vacancy - Everton or Rangers perhaps. Alternatively, Karanka is thought to have recently bought a house near Harrogate, so he could have been on his way ‘home’.

Elsewhere, Luton Town moved to quash talk that Sunderland have been in touch with them regarding their boss Nathan Jones. The Hatters have denied any contact has been made. As you were.

Allardyce fancies USA job

Former Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce was on Talksport this morning to talk up his chances of landing the USA job and dismissed reports he has been in talks with Everton.

Big Sam claimed he’s been in Scotland this week, nowhere near Merseyside and certainly not in Sunderland and Allardyce dismissed suggestions his contract demands have stalled talks on him taking over at Goodison:

There have been no contract talks with Everton in any way shape or form what I would or wouldn’t accept is complete and utter nonsense.

The 63-year-old also denied he’s lined up to enter the jungle on this year’s I’m A Celebrity Get me Out of Here.

But it’s Allardyce’s suggestion that Sunderland were only heading one way - at some point - which is the main talking point:

I know from personal experience it’s a hugely difficult club to manage. Sooner or later it was destined to go down and unfortunately for David that was on his watch.

Was last season’s relegation inevitable? Quite possibly but one man certainly hastened that destinty...

Moyes airbrushing history

David Moyes is everywhere at the moment as his unveiling at West Ham continues to attract headlines.

The man who relegated Sunderland was in front of the media yesterday and made several references to his recent failure at the Stadium of Light, most notably suggesting he hadn’t researched the issues on Wearside sufficiently:

I didn’t do enough due diligence. I came back and made a poor choice in the club I chose.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Perhaps with a clear warning to the next man who takes over at Sunderland, Moyes also suggested he will take a tougher line with Hammers players than he did up here:

I am here and I am on a mission in my own head. If the players step out of line they won’t play. If you don’t run you won’t play. If you’re not fit enough you don’t play.

The Scot was anything but “on a mission” in his own head or anyone else’s for that matter whilst at Sunderland and the club is now bottom of the Championship seemingly unable to shift its post-Moyes, post-relegation hangover.