Fan Letters: “Should Chris Coleman remain as the Sunderland manager next season?”

Dear Roker Report,

Now that relegation has been confirmed, what can we really expect to happen next season?

Obviously League 1 is going to be a new experience for a lot of us and there’ll be new grounds to visit and new teams to play (Accrington Stanley and Wimbledon spring to mind) but are we expecting to come straight back up? Go down in League 2? Battle for mid-table?

On the ownership front, are we expecting Short to sell up? A new owner who actually knows and understands how much the club means to the region and the fans?

Can we expect Coleman to stay? Or will he walk away? Will we finally see the back of Rodwell? Will ‘The Rotten Care’ still lead the weekly rallying call?

Personally, I would like to see a new owner come in (wishful thinking), the team rebuild around the younger players (Gooch, McNair, Honeyman, Asoro, Watmore *when fit*), Coleman to stay and give at least the playoffs a go, oh and a decent crack at The Checkatrade Trophy would be sound.

What does everyone else think?

Luke Huggan

Ed’s Note [Gav]: So many questions! I think the uncertainty around everything is helping nobody. Ellis Short hasn’t spoken about the club since he sacked Simon Grayson, and as such there are so many rumours and conspiracies flying around that need to be put to bed.

Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Dear Roker Report,

I’m a proud Sunderland fan - no matter how the team performs, it’s the team I love, even if I’m not from Sunderland (I’m from Doncaster).

I’m seeing constant abuse aimed at Chris Coleman from angered Sunderland fans - yeah, they have every right to be annoyed, they pay there hard earned money to go watch the team play and these days lose - but who do you see to be at fault?

Me, personally, I don’t blame Coleman - he has done the best he can with no transfer budget, often relying on youth. Ellis Short is the one who decides whether we have money for transfer dealings, not Coleman, but like I said I want other opinions on the matter - do you blame the team, the owner or the manager?

Me personally, I blame Short - he’s the one who’s caused the double relegation with his lack of care for Sunderland.

I’m one of the many people who want short to F*** off but I want us to keep Chris Coleman - do you have any thoughts on the matter?

Tom Mitchell

Ed’s Note [Gav]: I’m with you, I think Chris Coleman needs to be our manager next season. This is a rather unique situation. Sunderland are an absolute mess and to have found a man so intensely driven to turn this around is fantastic. He’s failed to do that so far, but I’m of the belief that this relegation was always on the cards with the lack of investment in January. He’s seen us at our lowest, knows exactly what needs to change and has been here long enough to have a plan in mind for the summer. He needs to be given that time to mould his own side, and I don’t see that changing the manager again would make a great deal of difference.