Former England contenders left begging for job with strugglers

Gordon Strachan, Avram Grant, Peter Reid and Co Adriaanse have all been thrust into contention to succeed Roy Keane at various points over the past week, before quickly fading away again. However, Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley have been constants, starting as the frontrunners in the betting last Thursday and remaining so up to now, which indicates that one of them will be the next manager of Sunderland. Both men have in common a track record for getting the best out of average players while being criticised for a dull brand of football, but beyond that, here’s what we consider both men’s pros and cons:

Sam Allardyce
+ Favours modern methods such as Prozone a lot more than Curbishley does
+ Has qualified for Europe with an unfancied team
+ Boasts a pretty impressive record in the transfer market

- His team’s direct physical approach hasn’t won over many neutrals
- Was sacked by Newcastle after a run of two wins in twelve games
- Do Sunderland really want somebody who flopped at their biggest rivals?

Alan Curbishley
+ Has never been sacked as a manager
+ Kept West Ham up from a far worse position than Sunderland are in now