As it stands, the only Boss heading for Sunderland any time soon is Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday night.
And while the Stadium of Light is a hive of activity right now as the venue is readied for the appearance of one of the world’s biggest rock superstars, it’s a different story down the road at the Academy of Light.
The manager’s car parking space is still vacant, with the club seemingly no nearer to appointing a new boss. It’s assumed that Mike Dodds was the sole representative from the coaching side to consult on the club’s retained list, with Corry Evans and Bradley Dack the biggest names to be leaving the club this summer.
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You have to assume that the recruitment for the new season is in full swing. Firstly, the free transfer market will be exploited – since both Evans and Dack were free transfers into the club, it’s a route we’ve gone down before. But who’s consulting on that?
While they won’t get final say on players, the head coach at Sunderland does at least contribute to the process – and they’re the best-placed to know what kind of player will fit into the system they wish to play.
But there is no head coach. There is no system. There is no preferred way to play. So any signings being identified right now are going to be lumbered upon our new appointment, whenever that should happen.
We have seen other clubs who sacked their managers go on to replace them very quickly. Sunderland, meanwhile, seem no closer to appointing Michael Beale’s replacement – and he was sacked in February.
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There was the suggestion that things could move quickly after Sunderland’s season came to an end but, if anything, things have slowed down.
It could be one of two things; the process to replace Beale is so rigorous in a bid to avoid making another mistake, one the club can ill afford. And rigorous processes do take time.
Or, the club had identified a replacement long ago, but has had its head turned by the glut of available managers now the season has ended. And now they’re dithering.
I hope it’s the former.
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In any case, it’s the first time in a long while that I’m actually looking forward to going to the Stadium of Light this week.
It is a real coup for the city that The Boss, with his 50-year arsenal of hits, is returning to the city. Many people, myself included, assumed we’d never see him again in Sunderland after his 2012 show.
But it’s another feather in the cap for a true success story for the stadium.
Over the last decade or so, the Stadium of Light has welcomed Springsteen, Take That, Ed Sheeran, Beyonce, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, Rihanna and Elton John.
The atmosphere around the city changes for a big gig, bars are thronging with people and the Metro has to lay on special staff to deal with the demand. And the result? You’re more or less guaranteed a good time.
Sunderland's summer concert schedule begins with Bruce Springsteen
Unlike football, you’re not going to be hit at the end with a sucker punch. Springsteen is not going to be sent off after 40 minutes for mouthing off to the referee.
If you turn up at an Elton John gig there’s not going to be segregation of rival fans, the club isn’t going to hand over the Black Cats Bar to Billy Joel fans for the night.
Barring a major technical issue or artist illness, people are going to come home happy.
And, after so many defeats for the football club this season at its supposed fortress, it’s going to be a relief to walk away from the SoL on Wednesday evening having enjoyed myself. Maybe we should play football in the shorter summer season and spend the rest of the year putting gigs on?
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