Interim boss Mike Dodds unsure if he will be in charge of Sunderland on Tuesday

Posted Sunday, February 06, 2022 by PA

Interim manager Mike Dodds admits he does not know if he will be in charge of Sunderland on Tuesday night.

The club, who are searching for a replacement for Lee Johnson, saw their top-two hopes slump further with a shock 2-1 defeat to basement side Doncaster.

Reo Griffiths and Tommy Rowe scored in the first half, and a late consolation from Corry Evans was unable to turn the tide on the day Jermain Defoe made his second debut in front of 39,000 fans.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said before the game that the club were still finalising the shortlist for the position, with Roy Keane one of the candidates for the role.

That suggested an appointment is not imminent, with the Black Cats back in action at Cheltenham on Tuesday night.

“I’m literally working day-to-day,” Dodds said.

“It’s a massive privilege for me to represent this football club.

“I hope they do get someone in but if I’m needed then I will do this job to the best of my ability.

“Like I said to the players on Monday, it’s not about me, it’s about giving them the best platform to perform.

“That hasn’t happened, so I’m going to have to reflect on why that is.

“We’ll be back in tomorrow and making sure the preparation is as good as it possibly can be.

“Let’s not shy away from the facts, a club of this size should not lose three games on the bounce regardless of what division it’s in.

“We are very, very aware of the importance of these games.

“The next 48, 72 hours will be very important for us.

“We have to dust ourselves down and accept the fact that the spell in the first half was not acceptable.

“We know that period, and I’m the captain of the ship this week, we know that’s unacceptable in front of 39,000 fans.”

There was major controversy midway through the second half when Ross Stewart appeared to have set up a grandstand finish with a back-post header, but the referee waved play on even as the ball looked to have dropped well over the line.

Dodds said that regardless of the decision there were no excuses.

Attention now returns to the head coach search, with Speakman saying before the game: “At the moment we’re speaking to all the people within the shortlist, looking at the pros and cons, sitting down with the board and the executive team, and making a decision on our next step.”

He insisted that the club would not be rushed into a decision, despite the increasing time pressure as the gap to the top widens.

There was no Doncaster press conference due to a brief evacuation at the Stadium of Light after the match.