The club has parted company with manager Martin O'Neill. Sunderland AFC has announced that it has parted company with manager Martin ONeill this evening. The club would like to place on record its thanks to Martin and wishes him well for the future. An announcement will be made in the coming days regarding a successor.
No further information is yet forthcoming on the news, but it is expected that O'Neill was sacked in direct response to the sides poor form, and the quality of performances put in this season, which now sees Sunderland hovering perilously close to the Premier League drop zone. O'Neill took charge of the club he supported as a boy back in December 2011, and enjoyed a bright start in charge, before ultimately finishing down in 13th after a poor finish. After spending a huge sum in the summer to try and rebuild the Sunderland squad, including big money signings of Adam Johnson from Manchester City and Steven Fletcher from Wolves, O'Neill's side have flattered to deceive this season, and it seems the writing was on the wall for the manager. Sunderland currently lie in 16th place in the Premier League following today's loss, with 31 points from as many games, and with the two closest teams below them, Wigan and Aston Villa, just a point behind them with a game in hand. The spotlight will now turn to O'Neill's potential successor, with few big names currently available, and even less likely to be interested in taking the reigns at this late a stage in a season. The lessons offered from Newcastle United's appointment of Alan Shearer in 2009 could well loom ominously over any potential appointment. One suggested replacement could be Brian McDermott, recently axed by Reading, who is available and has very recent experience in the Premier League. On paper, it looks an odd decision: Sunderland have a tough run of fixtures up to the end of the season, including a massive derby game at St. James Park in just two weeks, which could make or break both teams' seasons with the gap so small between them. But there may be some hope for the Black Cats thanks to how close the bottom half of the table currently is. With 21 points still to play for, Sunderland could be well away from the relegation zone in just a matter of games. Despite today's loss at home to United, O'Neill had been optimistic:
"I am as buoyant now as - I was nearly going to say as I have always been. What is it - the half-full or the half-empty glass? I'm even going to the three-quarters full. There's a real determination in the dressing room. The players are obviously disappointed, but they can take a lot from the second half. Yes, there is a determination about the players in there that we can do it."
His superiors clearly didn't have faith in his ability to turn that determination into results. Should Sunderland have sacked O'Neill now?