Mike Dodds outlines what Sunderland's head coach needs to be a success - and the key attribute they must bring

Now deep into this third role as interim head coach, Mike Dodds has a fairly unique insight into the position.

He came to the club as an outsider but has now made it, and its city and region, his home. Across his three stints he has experienced the kind of highs and lows that are typical of any campaign on Wearside, and in between has a number of head coaches take on the job.

Early in his pre-match press conference ahead of Millwall’s visit to the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, Dodds discussed good fits and bad fits in the dugout. The context was Millwall’s revival under Neil Harris, a club legend who has been able to turn around their campaign and now seems set to leave them to safety.

Which begs the question as Sunderland weigh up their next and arguably most important head coach appointment for some time, what makes a good fit on Wearside? Dodds’ experience is that connecting with the fanbase, which he says requires an honesty and openness at all times, is probably the biggest thing he has learned from his time at the club and the dugout.

Having seen his third tenure at the helm badly hampered by injuries and suspensions, he also feels the next head coach is going to need a little more depth added to the squad in the upcoming transfer window. It’s a point he thinks has been accepted by the club’s hierarchy in the early recruitment meetings ahead of this summer.

“One thing that I've realised in this position is every word is going to be scrutinised,” Dodds said.

“Everything that comes out of my mouth, whether it's negative or positive, will be scrutinised, but if you're genuine and authentic and honest, that goes a really long way with this supporter base. I've always tried to do that. I've never tried to shirk any questions, I've always tried to be the best version of me and not try to be anything I'm not.

“Whoever that person is has to show their genuine authentic self. I've always said all the Sunderland fans want - and I think the Leicester game was an example and I spoke to the players about it after the game. Ok, we lost the game but the majority of the fans stayed in the stadium because they could see a group that has given everything. I'd like to think I've done that as head coach. I've worked extremely hard to try and squeeze as much as I can out of the group.

“Whoever comes into this position, I said it previously when I took over from Tony, they're coming in to a good dressing room, they're good guys, they've given me everything up to this point,” he added.

“I felt they let themselves down in the Blackburn game and I think one or two of the players have come out and publicly held their hands up to that.

“But I've always said as head coach, if I'm going to point the finger at the players there are going to be three fingers pointed back at me. I think the next head coach is going to have a really good dressing room, a talented dressing room. It needs a little bit more depth probably. But I think the next person, as long as he's genuine and authentic and he's honest with the fans, that's really the kind of foundations any Sunderland fan can ask for.”

While communication and people management skills are a must to manage a club of Sunderland’s size, Dodds also says the club can’t afford to compromise on the kind of tactical nous that he says is increasingly crucial in the Championship.

The shift to a sporting director model has undeniably changed the role significantly, placing more and more emphasis on the coaching and tactical side of the role. While that is clearly not going to change this summer, Dodds says it is importance that there is a ‘balance’ to strike.

“I do think there's a balance with it - the industry is definitely changing,” Dodds said.

“I watch a lot of football and it's really hard just to go in to every single game and say ‘we're going to do what we do’ [and not worry about the opposition]. I think the Premier League is the best league in the world and a byproduct of that is it's filtered down into the Championship. The Championship, for me, is in the top five or six leagues in the world. Maybe not with quality but just in terms of everything that's around it: tactical information, physical information. It is a really tough league. So I do think the role or responsibility of whoever is in charge of any team has changed.

“But because this club has such a huge support base, communication and clarity - whether they like what they hear is a completely separate conversation or issue - but one thing I have learnt in this role is just be really genuinely open and honest and authentic. Some people will like that, some people won't. But one thing they'll never label at you is you're towing the party line.”

Sunderland are stepping up their search for Michael Beale’s permanent successor and are expected to make an appointment at the end of the current campaign.