A former Newcastle United defender has likened Sunderland interim coach Mike Dodds to a ‘robot’.
Mike Dodds joined Sunderland in August 2021 and has already had three stints as interim coach.
The 37-year-old has had a mixed bag, but received great praise for his previous spell following Tony Mowbray’s sacking.
Dodds helped guide Sunderland to back-to-back wins over Leeds United and West Brom, and while he has claimed four points in the reverse fixtures, his third spell been far from a success.
The Black Cats have won only two games since Dodds took charge in February, and fans are now eagerly waiting for the campaign to finally come to an end this weekend.
Supporters have been left frustrated by Dodds’ tactics, team selections and controversial decisions, and it now seems unlikely that he will be returning as an interim coach in the future.
Former Newcastle United defender John Anderson has criticised Dodds’ coaching methods, labelling him ‘very cliched’ and a ‘robot’.
Mike Dodds is ‘very cliched’
Speaking on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Total Sport on Tuesday, Anderson said: “I think the difference with Tony Mowbray was as well… look, they were obviously coached under Tony Mowbray, but he gave them freedom. He gave then freedom and he said on a Saturday, go and express yourself. Under a lot of managers and coaches now, everything’s structured. You play here, you do this, you do that. That’s your job.
“And I mean, I don’t know the boy Dodds at all, but I hear him and he’s very cliched in everything he says.”
A radio caller then replied with: “Bit of a robot, John, isn’t he?”
To which Anderson responded: “Yeah, very much so.”
Who is to blame for Dodds’ miserable tenure?
It does often seem like Mike Dodds knows he is out of his depth and will just try to say what the fans want to hear, and what he is heard being said from managers before him.
It’s not really his fault though and he probably didn’t expect to be in front of the cameras on so many occasions since joining the club three years ago, but here we are.
Dodds is clearly a very good coach and is loved by all the players, but we set him a challenge that he wasn’t cut out to do, and that is the board’s fault.
Dodds will rightfully come under some criticism for the decisions he has been made, but he should never have been tasked with taking charge of the senior team for three months in the first place.