Sunderland are currently stuck in a rut.

Four games without a win in League One, Phil Parkinson has received the sack and they are currently six points off top spot.

Similarly to the last few years, promotion is unfortunately not guaranteed for the Black Cats. That being said, could a new manager help?

What’s the word?

Stewart Donald is one of the busiest owners in English football at the moment, attempting to wrap up a takeover attempt alongside hiring a sporting director and a new head coach.

A variety of men have been linked with the vacant post including Danny Cowley, Paul Cook, Gus Poyet and Lee Johnson.

However, according to Caught Offside, there is another name now in the hat.

They reported this week that Sunderland have held talks with former Macclesfield and Southend United boss Sol Campbell.

It’s thought that an interview has already taken place between Campbell and the Sunderland hierarchy. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t state how big a priority the ex-defender is on their list of targets.

Destined for mediocrity

Campbell’s managerial career has been a topsy-turvy state of affairs.

His first venture was with Macclesfield and he performed something that Tony Cascarino described as a “minor miracle.”

When the manager walked into the job they were bottom of League Two and five points adrift of safety. However, once he departed, he had been able to save them from relegation by the skin of their teeth, keeping them up on the final day.

He did this all while the club was in financial difficulty, and as a result, earned comparisons to a certain Parkinson.

Cascarino told talkSPORT: “I’ve lauded Phil Parkinson at Bolton when he got promoted when he was under a [transfer] embargo. He went down and he’s still their manager. He’s in a similar situation [to Campbell], imagine coming in here and none of us have been paid and we’re having to do a show.”

In this situation, it’s certainly not a bad thing to be compared to the recently departed Sunderland boss but Campbell’s work at Southend is why supporters at the Stadium of Light should be concerned.

He won just four of 24 matches, eventually leaving his post with a win percentage of 18.2%. Southend, meanwhile, were eventually relegated from League One with the club a colossal 16 points from safety.

Financial restraints meant he wasn’t able to spend in the January transfer window, and thus, he couldn’t turn the club around.

It’s unlikely that Campbell would be able to spend much at Sunderland either because they are currently tied down by the EFL’s salary cap.

Therefore, he’d be walking into a fairly similar situation. With his little managerial experience and the inability to sign many new players, it’s unlikely things would improve in the north-east under his stewardship.

That's not to say he isn't a good manager - he did wonderful things at Macclesfield - it's just that Sunderland wouldn't be the right match at this moment in time.

In other news, here's how FFC predict Sunderland to line-up if they hire Danny Cowley...