Tuesday 13 October 2015 16:06, UK
Following Dick Advocaat's departure, Sam Allardyce has been appointed as the new Sunderland manager.
Allardyce has a wealth of Premier League experience with Bolton, Newcastle, Blackburn and West Ham - but is he the right man to turn Sunderland's fortunes around?
Here, we take a look at his managerial experience in the top flight…
Bolton
Allardyce enjoyed the best spell of his managerial career after winning promotion to the Premier League with Bolton in 2001. The Trotters narrowly avoided relegation in their first two seasons in the top flight, but it wasn't long before they started punching above their weight.
Allardyce developed a knack for bringing the best out of aging stars such as Yuori Djokaeff and Jay-Jay Okocha, and Bolton's direct, physical style made them a nightmare to play against. Allardyce's side finished in the top eight for four consecutive seasons between 2003 and his departure in 2007, reaching a League Cup final and the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup in the process. His achievements saw him touted as a candidate for the England job in 2006.
Newcastle
Allardyce ended his long stay at Bolton in 2007, citing a desire to win silverware as he signed a three-year contract to take over at Newcastle. After a busy summer in the transfer market, Allardyce kicked off his tenure with a 3-1 win over his former club. The Magpies went unbeaten in Allardyce's first five games, but things soon started going downhill.
Poor results and an unattractive playing style made Allardyce an unpopular figure with Newcastle supporters, and the under-fire manager was sacked after just eight months in charge following a run of two wins from 13 games. "It was a shock, I didn't expect it," said Allardyce at the time.
Blackburn
After almost a year out of work, Allardyce succeeded Paul Ince as Blackburn manager in December 2008. He steered Rovers to a comfortable 15th-placed finish that season, and in his first full campaign in charge, Blackburn finished 10th and also reached the semi-final of the League Cup.
Allardyce was widely ridiculed for suggesting he was "better suited" to managing the likes of Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea or Manchester United in 2010, but his sacking in December that year when Blackburn were sitting 13th was greeted with widespread surprise. "Not in my wildest dreams did I see this coming," said former Blackburn captain Ryan Nelsen. "Nor did anyone else because of the job he has done since he has come to Blackburn."
West Ham
West Ham appointed Allardyce following their relegation to the Championship in 2011. He led them back into the Premier League via the play-offs, and they finished 10th in their first season back in the top flight. Despite stabilising the club, however, Allardyce came under fire from West Ham fans and pundits for his tactical approach.
Allardyce had promised to resurrect "the West Ham way" following his appointment, but he adopted a typically direct style in favour of the attractive football supporters wanted. That appeared to be changing as they started the 2014/15 season strongly, but their form deteriorated in the second half of the campaign and Allardyce left at the end of his contract following a 12th-placed finish.
Comparison
So how does Allardyce's record compare to his Sunderland predecessors? Allardyce's has overseen 437 Premier League games in total, winning 148, drawing 120 and losing 169 and giving him an overall win percentage of 33.9 per cent. By contrast, Gus Poyet only had a 23.3 win percentage in his 60 Premier League games at the helm, while Dick Advocaat was down on 17.7 per cent for his 17 games in charge.
