Sunderland have today unveiled former Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy as the new boss of the Premiership's bottom club. McCarthy resigned as Ireland manager last November after six years in the job but will now succeed Howard Wilkinson in the hotseat at the Stadium of Light. Wilkinson and his assistant Steve Cotterill were sacked on Monday evening after collecting just two wins from 20 league games.
McCarthy has never managed a Premiership club - the 44-year-old's only other management job was at Millwall between 1991 and 1996 - and faces a virtually impossible task of keeping the Black Cats in the top flight with just nine games remaining. However, despite this uphill battle he faces, McCarthy is relishing his new position.
"I'm excited to be joining Sunderland and am up for the challenge ahead," he told the club's official website, www.safc.com. "In the short term we have nine remaining games this season and, of course, I will be concentrating on lifting the players to get the best possible results in these. I'm also excited about the long-term. This is a great club and it deserves success."
Sunderland vice-chairman John Fickling added: "It has been a difficult period for the club and its supporters but we're delighted to have secured the services of Mick McCarthy who is well respected in the world of football. We have made this change now because we feel it is in the best interests of the club and its supporters."
"It was important that we acted swiftly to secure the services of a manager who would undoubtedly have been pursued by several clubs during the summer months and by appointing Mick now, we are giving him the opportunity to get to know the players and the club and form a long-term development strategy for the summer and beyond. This decision is not about the last nine games or our Premiership survival - although this is important. It has been taken for the long term," he added.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
