Sbragia worried by loss of privacy
Dec 20 2008 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
RICKY Sbragia may have emerged as a serious contender to succeed Roy Keane but the caretaker boss has hinted that he values his privacy too much to accept the job if it is offered to him.
Although not believed to be the first choice of a Sunderland board that is exercising caution over a crucial appointment, Sbragia is among the leading candidates and victory over Hull at the KC Stadium this afternoon would further his claims.
Niall Quinn is understood to be impressed at the way Sbragia has steered the club through a difficult period, and he has the support of players, who have backed him publicly for the job this week.
However, Sbragia, who indicated to friends before becoming caretaker manager that he didn’t want the job full-time, is clearly conflicted over whether he would accept the role if it was offered to him.
Although he may be swayed by more success on the field, Sbragia admits that the prospect of long working days and the pressure of managing things away from the training pitch does not appeal.
“If I was offered it I’d probably just have a couple of days to think about it. I wouldn’t give Niall an answer right away – I couldn’t,” he said.
“I’m still churning around it at the moment, still thinking about it. I’ve always said I don’t want to be manager, simple as that but if they offer it to me I’ll think about it.
“It would be a difficult decision. I do enjoy it – I enjoy being on the pitch but I don’t enjoy the other side of things and that’s my main concern. It is on your days off when the enormity of it hits you. You’re on the phone all the time and people try to contact you – you end up speaking to the staff, finding out what’s happened with injuries. I’m quite a private man, I like my privacy. If it goes well and I get it I won’t have that privacy.
“You feel sorry for the big managers who can’t walk down the street and go out and do their shopping. That’s not me. I just don’t want that. If it would interfere with that side, I definitely wouldn’t be interested.
“It’s just the whole package and I need to be comfortable with that.”
One of the things that may count against Sbragia is his lack of profile, and the caretaker boss admits that it might be difficult to keep hold of players who have signed for Sunderland on the back of Keane’s presence as manager.
“Yes, that could be a problem,” he said.
“But players see managers in and out, and at present they all seem happy. They have to focus on their football – we have to get on with it. Sunderland FC keeps going on and the big thing for me is that we have to stay in the Premier League – that is the priority.”
With no firm deadline on appointing a new manager, Sbragia has been told to begin preliminary planning for the January transfer window.
Although it does not stretch to identifying potential targets, Sbragia will take decisions on whether to bring players back from loan and has also been told to make decisions over new contracts for fringe players.
“At the moment our planning for January is looking at the loan players and what they’re doing,” he said.
“It’s an area we’re looking at. We can take decisions on Paul (McShane) at Hull, Ross Wallace, Anthony Stokes – we can decide whether to bring them back or whether to do a deal.
“Then there is the reserves too – there are some young players coming to end of contract and we have to look after that as well.”
Sunderland have recalled Trevor Carson from his loan period at Chesterfield.
The 20-year-old goalkeeper will return to the Stadium of Light in January after making 18 appearances for the Spireites.
