---
title: "Sunderland: Alan Nixon names three managerial candidates"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/sunderland-afc-alex-neil-manager-news-latest-gossip-boss/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Will Seager"
section: "Championship News"
published: "2022-08-29T13:45:23Z"
modified: "2022-08-29T13:45:23Z"
---

# Sunderland: Alan Nixon names three managerial candidates

**Following Alex Neil’s departure as [Sunderland](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/sunderland-afc-news/) manager, Alan Nixon has revealed three candidates being considered for the vacant position at the Stadium of Light.**

### **The Lowdown: Neil’s departure**

The Black Cats [confirmed](https://safc.com/news/club-news/2022/august/alex-neil-leaves-safc) on Sunday that the 41-year-old, who only joined the Wearside club in [February](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/alex-neil/profil/trainer/24018), had left his role in the northeast to join fellow [Championship](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/championship-news/) side Stoke City.

Leading the club to a [fifth-place finish](https://www.skysports.com/league-1-table/2021) in League One, Neil delivered promotion for Sunderland via the play-offs, ending their four-year stay in the third tier of English football.

The Wearsiders even enjoyed a strong start to life in the Championship under his leadership, collecting [eight points](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/championship/table) from their first five games of the season.

### **The Latest: Nixon’s news**

With Sunderland now on the hunt for a new manager, amid a [weekend revelation](https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/next-sunderland-manager-tony-mowbray-latest-as-ex-middlesbrough-celtic-and-blackburn-boss-emerges-as-candidate-3822155) from Jeff Stelling that Tony Mowbray was set to be appointed, Nixon has revealed two other names being linked with the job, namely [Liam Manning and Anthony Barry](https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/premier-league-coach-and-league-one-manager-to-rival-tony-mowbray-for-sunderland-vacancy/).

In response to a question on Twitter as to who may be appointed as the new Black Cats manager, the journalist [claimed](https://twitter.com/reluctantnicko/status/1563884279729455105): “Mowbray is trying … Barry is interesting … so is Manning …”

\[freshpress-quiz id=”398290″\]

### **The Verdict: Disappointing departure**

With things finally looking up for the Wearside outfit after years of stagnation, uncertainty once again mounts at the Stadium of Light after the 41-year-old walked out on the club after [less than seven months](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/alex-neil/profil/trainer/24018) in charge.

Mowbray, who is currently deemed the [favourite](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/tony-mowbray-favourite-succeed-alex-24872228) for the role in some quarters, left Blackburn in the summer after five years in charge at Ewood Park. He previously led West Brom to the Championship title and promotion to the Premier League in 2008, more recently winning promotion from League One with Blackburn four years ago.

\[freshpress-poll id=”398192″\]

Looking to the other candidates, [Manning](https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/premier-league-coach-and-league-one-manager-to-rival-tony-mowbray-for-sunderland-vacancy/) led MK Dons to a third-place finish in League One last season, two higher than Sunderland, before losing out in the play-off semi-finals to Wycombe.

[Barry](https://footballleagueworld.co.uk/premier-league-coach-and-league-one-manager-to-rival-tony-mowbray-for-sunderland-vacancy/) is also an interesting option, given that he is currently a first-team coach at Chelsea after he was hired during Frank Lampard’s stint as manager, having previously been an assistant to Paul Cook at Wigan Athletic and [also worked with](https://www.the42.ie/anthony-barry-ireland-5673515-Feb2022/) the Belgium coaching setup.

Whoever is chosen for the job, if it is indeed to be one of these three, let’s just hope they stay put for a bit longer than Neil did.