Sunderland, who are going deep into the wilderness, might have been dealt with another body blow as their prime managerial candidate has committed his current future to Wigan Athletic. The man in question is Paul cook and he has led the Latics to the League One title with 98 points and because of his latest achievements, he was being linked with a move to Sunderland to replace the recently fired Chris Coleman.
Wigan fans will be relieved as they have secured the future of their current manager. Under the new deal, Paul Cook is set to stay at DW stadium for the next four years and the Latics chairman, David Sharpe seemed delighted. He said “I’m absolutely delighted to see Paul commit his long-term future to Wigan Athletic. “He has been the main reason behind our success this year. “I can speak on behalf of everyone associated with Wigan Athletic in saying this is fantastic news.”
He further added,“Paul is a serial winner – to win the League One title with 98 points, and beat Bournemouth, West Ham and Manchester City to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals in his first season in charge is unbelievable
Sunderland are in doldrums on the pitch and even off it, as they are looking for new owners to revive them back. Coleman had to deal with unmotivated players and financial constraints throughout the entire campaign after he took charge in place of Simon Grayson in November last year and one cannot entirely blame him for bringing Sunderland down to League One. The Black Cats have admitted that their future is currently uncertain and it will be gut-wrenching for their current fans to see their beloved club demoted to the third tier of English football in just two years.
Once Wigan Athletic secured their promotion in the Championship, it was highly unlikely that their manager will leave them for a club who are in such dire straits. Cook has enjoyed his time at the club and said,’I have loved every minute of my time here. “I sit here very proud of the success we have enjoyed this season, but in equal measure aware of the challenges we face moving forwards into the Championship – an exciting challenge.”
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It will be interesting to see what the future beholds at the Stadium of Light. One thing is for sure that whoever comes in to take over at the managerial job, he will have a big responsibility at hand and will have to bide his time to improve the team. The fans should remain patient and not expect miracles straightaway from the new manager otherwise it will add unwanted pressure on him.
