Sunderland manager Chris Coleman’s future is uncertain – new owners to decide his fate

When Chris Coleman walked away from the Wales job to join Sunderland in November 2017, he knew he had a huge task on his hands to save the club from a second successive relegation.

Four months later, he is no less enamoured with the club but knows his future is in the hands of others.

“My contract is this season plus two more,” he told the Sunderland Echo, ahead of the visit of Preston North End.

“I want to be here, that’s what I signed up for. I wouldn’t have signed the contract otherwise,” he added, hinting that he knew there was uncertainty over the club’s future ownership.

The Black Cats must win tomorrow if they are to keep their slender hopes of staying in the Championship alive. Sunderland are six points from safety and still in the bottom three, a position they occupied when Coleman took over.

“I came here when we were in the bottom three, there was no guarantee that we would stay up, I was hoping that we would pull away [from the relegation zone] on the back of some good work with Wales, but it hasn’t quite materialised.”

Wearing his heart on his sleeve, Coleman gave an honest assessment of his performance. “I’ve not pulled up any trees here yet,” the former centre-back declared.

He emphasized his desire to retain control at the Stadium of Light.

“I came here because I wanted to be manager of Sunderland AFC, and it will still be Sunderland AFC at the end of the season no matter where it is, and I very much want to be a part of that.

“I don’t know who is going to come in and buy the club if someone buys the club, but that is the uncertainty, not me saying ‘that’s it’ – absolutely not.”

Sunderland’s run-in includes matches against promotion-chasing Derby County and Fulham, as well as relegation rivals Reading and Burton. Coleman is desperate to resolve the club’s status before the final game against league leaders Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Stadium of Light.

He’s been in the game long enough to know that the decision over his future may be taken out of his hands.

“I have to be careful what I say because I don’t want people to think I am being defeatist – which I’m certainly not – but it’s not about what league we are in, it will be about who owns the club and what is the plan.

“Because they might not have me in their plans.

“If I’m not here, it won’t be because I have said ‘that’s it’.”

And that is music to the fans on Wearside.