Sunderland pledge period of 'reflection' as club seeks new direction following David Moyes departure

Sunderland have pledged to go into a period of “reflection” as they decide who should manage them in the Championship next season.

David Moyes finally resigned on Monday afternoon, bringing to an end his ignominious reign at the Stadium of Light. He replaced Sam Allardyce last summer but his tenure will always be remembered for Sunderland’s eventual relegation from the top flight and for the unsavoury incident with BBC reporter Vicki Sparks.

Now Sunderland have suggested that they will have a serious think about what has gone wrong and consider going in a new direction under their new man. “In the days ahead we will take some time for reflection,” said a club statement, “and then focus on recruitment and pre-season as we prepare for our Championship campaign. We wish David well in the future.”

Sunderland will need a manager with the energy to turn around a club that has been heading in the wrong direction for some time, and to try to get an ill-equipped squad out of the Championship. Sunderland will certainly lose their best player Jermaine Defoe and could sell Jordan Pickford if they are offered in excess of £30m.

The remaining players will be short on quality which means that they have to get their next decision right, to stabilise the club and challenge for promotion while they can still rely on lucrative parachute payments.

Sunderland will be keenly aware of the fact that this time last year Newcastle United were relegated but they succeeded in securing the commitment of Rafael Benitez, a Champions League and Europa League winning manager, who steered Newcastle to the Championship title and an instant return to the top flight.

The chances of Sunderland appointing someone of Benitez’s reputation are slim but they know they will need an impressive figure who can rally a jaded squad and prepare the players for the physical exertions of Championship football.

Sunderland will also be aware that Newcastle spent big on signings such as Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle last summer, paying Premier League-level wages and transfer fees. But Sunderland owner Ellis Short has been reluctant to invest more money in the club in recent years, which could make it harder to land a top target this summer and thus impact the quality of the playing squad for next season.

For years Sunderland had been defying gravity to stay in the Premier League, thanks to rescue jobs from Sam Allardyce, Dick Advocaat and Gus Poyet. But Moyes was not able to delay the inevitable and now Sunderland find themselves in the position they had long feared, back in the Championship. Now they need to find a man capable of the difficult task of pushing them back up the hill again.