Sunderland was defeated over the weekend, marking their sixth straight loss.
Under Dodds’s direction, Sunderland’s poor performance has left them 11 points behind sixth-place Norwich City.
The season is almost over, and focus has already shifted to the upcoming one. At the conclusion of the current campaign, a permanent manager will probably be appointed, dashed hopes of finishing in the play-offs.
Maybe Sunderland’s inexperience contributed to their recent collapse, as pressure to finish in the play-offs has increased.
Dodds selected the Championship’s youngest starting lineup since 2010 on Saturday.
Journalist Ali Maxwell made the observation in a post on X that Sunderland’s starting eleven on Saturday had the youngest average age in Championship history, following the team’s loss at St Mary’s.
Surprisingly, the interim manager selected a team with an average age of 21, which is eight months younger than one of the starting lineups from Peterborough United’s 2009–10 campaign, when they had a disastrous campaign.
Although the North East club is giving young talent a chance, which is encouraging, it appears that this is hurting their chances of getting promoted.
It is critical to have several professionals with a strong season in order to counteract inexperience on the field.
However, Daniel Ballard of Sunderland, who turned 24 in September, was their oldest player when they played Southampton.
In the summer transfer window, Sunderland needs to address its lack of experience.
With Sunderland currently sitting in 12th place, just outside of the top six, it appears that they will be playing in the Championship for another season.
Having said that, the team needs to start making a list of goals before the summer transfer window opens, and strengthening the roster must be the club’s top goal.
They simply cannot afford to name a side with an average age of 21 again if they hope to make it back to the top flight; they are far too inexperienced.
That idea only becomes more significant as the season progresses and the stakes increase. New players require the support and direction of experienced leaders who understand promotion bids.
Therefore, this issue must be addressed by the new permanent manager, be it Will Still or someone else.