Former Bristol City midfielder favourite to take over as new Sunderland manager

Former Bristol City academy product Liam Rosenior has emerged as the overwhelming favourite to take over at the Robins’ Championship rivals Sunderland.

The Black Cats have been without a full-time boss since the decision to sack Michael Beale in February, with coach Mike Dodds guiding the team for the duration of the 2023/24 season as they finished 16th, six points behind City.

Rosenior was dismissed by Hull City at the end of the campaign having failed to take the Tigers into the top six and has turned down the Plymouth Argyle job since leaving the MKM Stadium in May.

Sunderland had been waiting on Reims boss Will Still to move into the dugout on Wearside but after citing concerns around “staffing and investment”, the highly-rated 31-year-old has been appointed at RC Lens, which has seen the Black Cats turn back to Rosenior.

Despite his dismissal at Hull and failure in the eyes of owner Acun Illicali, which divided many, the 39-year-old still retains a strong reputation within the game following his coaching work at Derby County and he wasn’t going to be out of a job for long.

Rosenior made 28 appearances for City after emerging through the academy but soon after establishing himself in the first-team, which included scoring in the 2003 Football League Trophy final win over Carlisle United, the then-19-year-old left for Fulham and went on to have a career with Reading, Hull and Brighton as permanent destinations. Since retiring in 2018, he’s worked as a coach at Brighton and Derby and as a pundit on Sky Sports, analysing Championship football.

Meanwhile, former City midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson looks set to sign for Leyton Orient or Wycombe Wanderers in League One as his contract at Sheffield Wednesday comes to an end.

Bakinson left the West Country for Hillsborough in 2022 but has been unable to establish himself in the Owls team in the Championship and spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton Athletic in the third tier.

Football Insider report that Wycombe and Orient are “battling it out” to sign the 25-year-old who made 54 appearances during his time in BS3.

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