After the promotion to the EFL Championship under the stewardship of Alex Neil, things were looking even more positive on Wearside after the club made a fruitful start to their season in the second tier of English football. Wins against Bristol City and Stoke City away from home, along with some good performances against Coventry City and QPR, saw the team looking solid under the Scot.
However, it was clear that all was not rosy below the surface, where issues relating to transfers and the inability of the club to secure the targets Neil wanted left the former Norwich manager bereft, stating he had ‘busted the door down’ in his demand looking for transfers.
Sunderland’s transfer model didn’t suit Neil, and when Ross Stewart’s goal put the final nail in the coffin of Michael O’Neill’s tenure at Stoke, an opportunity arose for Neil to move on.
Much to the shock and horror of most Sunderland fans, Neil’s move hurt as the club’s fanbase longed for some stability. With Neil’s departure to The Potters completed in quick time, Kristjaan Speakman and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus had to move on too, to ensure we replaced him with a target who would please the fans.
Soon, it became clear that former Blackburn Rovers manager Tony Mowbray was the man the club sought as the replacement. It appeared that his ability to help and progress young footballers, along with his attacking style of play, was something that appealed to the club, and on this day in 2022, Mowbray was appointed manager.
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Mowbray’s connections to the North East certainly also played a role in his appointment, and this was something the new ‘head coach’ cited upon his appointment to the job.
“I grew up in the North East and I always remember my experiences at Roker Park with great fondness – the emotion, passion and size of Sunderland AFC. This is a huge opportunity to continue the good work that has taken place over the past two years, and I hope the supporters can see that this football club is on its way back. It is a journey – I’ve just come from Blackburn Rovers and, like here, it was a rebuilding process – but we want to win and we will be aggressive. The players must understand what they are fighting for because they are the standard-bearers for the city, and win, lose or draw, we must ensure those who come to watch us see a team that gives everything in every game.”
Mowbray was true to his word when he mentioned his desire for his team to be aggressive and attacking, and in his first game, the team started as they meant to go on, as they brushed aside a poor Rotherham United team 3-0 at the Stadium of Light.
The new head coach was a success during his time at the club, where he showed humility, humour, and an obsession with Revels, much to the laughter of fans and media alike.
Along the way, Mowbray played a huge part in the development of players such as Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts, where his ‘arm around the shoulder’ approach to management saw him get the best out of his players.
A barely thinkable sixth-place finish in the table saw the team make the play-offs for the Premier League, where they lost to Luton over two legs, but a legacy of bringing this club back towards where we belong, along with showing such lovely mannerisms, still ensures that he is fondly remembered to this day.
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