FORMER Sunderland boss Ricky Sbragia has been handed the brief of ‘director of scouting’ as part of Steve Bruce’s shake-up of coaching staff.
Sbragia stepped down after edging the Black Cats towards survival last season but his tireless efforts impressed chairman Niall Quinn, who assured the former Manchester United coach that there is a “job for life” for him at Sunderland.
That role will not be as part of the coaching team, which Sbragia would have preferred, but he will oversee a revamped scouting operation alongside current chief scout Mick Brown.
Bruce is expected to utilise his contacts in Europe and South and Central America as he looks to inject fresh blood into Sunderland’s squad – and he will also insist on a more rigorous vetting procedure than that accepted by former boss Roy Keane.
Sunderland’s approach to player identification and recruitment has long been earmarked for an overhaul by Quinn, who feels that the Black Cats need to extend their reach globally to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
He has sought the advice of former Sunderland chief scout Dave Bowman, whose extensive contacts helped the Black Cats recruit Nyron Nosworthy, Dean Whitehead and Danny Collins during Mick McCarthy’s time at the helm and feels that Sbragia can provide a crucial link between manager and scouts.
It is also a reward for a man who Quinn feels indebted to for reluctantly holding the fort while Sunderland worked towards appointing Bruce.
“Ricky has gone away for a few weeks and he definitely needed a holiday. He has scheduled a call with Steve for his assessment and Steve is looking forward to that,” the Sunderland chairman said.
“Ricky has agreed to head up a new, wider scouting network that Steve brings to this club. I’m not going to be interfering but I will make sure that the recruitment and the structures are as good as they can be.
“There will be reporting structures and every Friday we will know what is happening. We will put a library together of all of our thoughts so we can call on that at any stage. We have to be smart on that. Ricky’s role has not been put in writing yet but he will head that (scouting network) for me and Steve.
“We will still have Mick Brown. We will still have our assistant chief scout and maybe we need someone based here so Steve doesn’t have to be bothered. We have not had that all of the time.”
Although Sbragia’s time in charge will not be fondly remembered by supporters, Quinn feels that he played a vital role in pushing Sunderland forward.
His steady hand after Keane left the club in a state of turmoil was important, but after an initial bump things started to turn sour for a man who always looked more comfortable on the training pitch.
“I went to Old Trafford two days after Roy Keane left and they were betting on six, seven, eight or nine-nil. I was worried for Ricky in the build-up.
“He then did too well in the next couple of games. We scored eight goals in the next two games and everything looked great. But we dipped, got it going again and then dipped (again). It was a gamble and it was a gamble that paid off.
“I understand the consequences if it had gone wrong but it worked this time and I have to take advantage of that. Ricky takes a lot of the credit.”
While Sbragia, Bruce and Quinn work on players coming in, Sunderland also expect considerable outgoings.
Ipswich boss Keane has been credited with an interest in Paul McShane, Daryl Murphy and Carlos Edwards – and all three players are unlikely to have a future at the Stadium of Light under Bruce. Anthony Stokes is another who has been made available, with Ipswich also linked with a striker who has failed to fulfil his potential at Sunderland. Greg Halford is up for sale but, having used up the last of their Premier League parachute payments, Sheffield United may find it difficult to raise the money required to take the defender who spent last season on loan with them to Bramall Lane permanently.
Meanwhile, Roy O’Donovan appears unlikely to join Hartlepool after Chris Turner distanced himself from a move for the Irish striker.