Mike Todd is prepared to take the handbrake off in an attempt to correct the team’s faltering season as Sunderland plays Swansea City at home this afternoon.
After Sunderland lost their last two games under Michael Beale, Dodds begins his third stint as Sunderland’s acting manager with his team seven points outside of the play-off spots.
Dodds has been careful not to criticize Beale too harshly this week, but it is obvious that he wants his team to play a more open attacking style of football in the final 13 games of the season.
Beale’s unfortunate 63-day reign was marked by many critiques, most among them being that he was excessively cautious and had curtailed much of the attacking freedom enjoyed by Tony Mowbray.
“I think I understand what the fans want in terms of how they want a Sunderland team to be, and I think that is every single game having a real go,” said Dodds. “Some we’ll lose, some we’ll win, and I’ll have to answer questions regardless of how it goes.
“At some point I will leave this football club, hopefully a good few years from now still, the people of Sunderland want the brand of football to be something that is reflective of the city.
“That’s not lost on me and that’s something that we will try and reflect on Saturday, and the 12 games after that. I’ve got an image and a vision in my head on how a Sunderland team should look.”
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Choice of striker
Whether Sunderland should play with a natural number nine has been a major topic of discussion about the team’s attacking performance this season.
Under Beale, Nazariy Rusyn and Mason Burstow both had opportunities but failed to make a strong impression. However, during Dodds’ last stint as interim manager this season, he frequently used Jobe Bellingham as his primary striker.
“I don’t really have a preference in terms of striker, no striker, two strikers,” said Dodds. “As I’ve got older, I’ve got a lot more comfortable in terms of who I am and what I like and don’t like.
“The reality is, and I think I showed this in my last stint, I will pick a team that I think will win the game regardless of whether it’s one striker, two, etc.
“I know if I win I’ll get plaudits, and if I don’t I’ll get questions, and I’m super comfortable with that because any decision I make will have been thought out over and over again.”