It'll be hard for Sunderland fans not to dwell on the sacking of Gus Poyet. Although the Uruguayan has lost most of his support amid a string of gutless performances and baffling tactical decisions, he delivered some of the most memorable moments in a generation on Wearside. He will forever be remembered for guiding the team to their first cup final in over 20 years, his three consecutive victories over Newcastle, and for masterminding the greatest of relegation escapes at the end of the 2013/14 Premier League season. Football, however, is a fast-moving business. Already names are being lined up to replace Poyet at the Sadium of Light, chief among them the experienced figure of Dick Advocaat. The Dutchman is an unproven figure in English football, having never brought his expertise to the Premier League. Despite this, he is a strong favourite among bookmakers to become the next man to try and save the Black Cats from relegation - a relegation many will feel is long overdue. It's debatable just how many of their nine lives Sunderland have used to avoid the drop in recent years, and the general feeling among the fans and local media appears to be one of scepticism - this could finally be the year their luck runs out. Should Advocaat find himself at the helm, he will immediately be subjected to a monumental amount of pressure. The derby (seemingly a rite of passage for new Sunderland bosses these days) is on the horizon again, and there are only nine league games left with which to claim survival - crucial home encounters against fellow-strugglers Hull, QPR and Villa already surrendered. Survival is no mean feat for any boss, let alone an unproven commodity. But just what sort of man are Sunderland about to sign?
