Tony Mowbray: The three candidates ‘under consideration’ for Sunderland role

Sunderland’s hopes of returning to the Premier League were ended on Tuesday night as Luton Town recorded a 2-0 win at Kenilworth Road in the second-leg of their play-off semi-final.

Mowbray’s side defied all expectations to finish in the top-six last season, but recent reports have suggested that the Black Cats may look to replace the 59-year-old this summer.

TalkSport report that Sunderland have identified Francesco Farioli, Matthias Jaissle and Gerhard Struber as potential replacements for Mowbray. But just who are they and what could they bring to the Stadium of Light?

Farioli began his coaching journey as a goalkeeper coach in Italy, spending over a decade honing his skills in various roles before being appointed as manager of Turkish side Karagumruk in March 2021.

Having impressed at the club, he was then offered the opportunity to manage Alanyaspor in December 2021 – a club he had previously worked at as an assistant manager. Farioli’s time at Alanyaspor came to an end in February.

The 34-year-old had reportedly been considered by Watford and Rangers earlier this season. Having had just two spells as a permanent manager, it’s hard to anticipate what style of football a Farioli-led team will play.

However, he has previously worked under Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi as a goalkeeping coach at both Benevento and Sassuolo.

RB Salzburg have just been crowned Austria Bundesliga champions for the 10th season in a row. Jaissle has guided the side to their last two triumphs after taking the reins following Jesse Marsch’s departure in 2021.

Historically, managers within the Red Bull system have first impressed with the Austrian side before being offered roles at so-called ‘bigger’ clubs across Europe. Jaissle is no exception and his work during his two years at the Red Bull Arena will likely see him move clubs in the not too distant future.

In a short playing career, Jaissle played under Ralf Rangnick whilst at Hoffenheim and it’s clear, because of the similarities between Rangnick’s style of play and the Red Bull system, that Jaissle will have a clear vision of how his teams should play. They will be high energy and look to use both the ball and space efficiently.

After a playing career in his native Austria, Struber became assistant manager at RB Salzburg Under-19’s 2007. He rose through the ranks at the club before being appointed manager of Wolfsberger ahead of their 2019/20 campaign.

A successful few months there saw Struber attract the attention of Championship basement club Barnsley. He managed to keep the Tykes afloat in the league that season before New York Red Bulls exercised his release clause in October 2020, less than a year following his move to Oakwell.

As mentioned, Struber’s first taste of coaching came in the famed Red Bull system and this continued in America as he helped guide his team to successive play-off finishes. The 46-year-old left New York Red Bulls in May.

Much like Jaissle and any coach that has come through the Red Bulls system, Struber’s teams often play high-pressing football and aim to dominate the middle of the park.