JUST IN: According to BBC reports this afternoon an unexpected coach linking to Brighton has officially agreed terms with Sunderland AFC, official agreement with take place within 7 hours…

Sunderland’s campaign came to an end on Saturday afternoon, with a number of key decisions now to be settled.

Here we run you through what they will be and what fans can expect…

APPOINT A NEW HEAD COACH

Sunderland’s structure, with the sporting director leading the football operation, means that the days of the omnipotent manager are now long gone. That being said, it’s undoubtedly the case that the appointment of a new head coach is the most important task for Kristjaan Speakman and the club’s ownership in the aftermath of the campaign.

The decision to replace Tony Mowbray with Michael Beale proved to be a major error that did much to undo Sunderland’s play-off prospects. The turbulence in the dugout led to a decline not just in results, but also in performance level and most significantly on the club’s playing identity. Sunderland have not been the fearless, front-footed team that supporters loved watching since Mowbray left, and that does much to explain the apathy that has swept over Wearside in recent weeks and months.

Sunderland opted not to appoint a permanent successor to Beale in the immediate aftermath of his departure, instead opting to take time to reflect on what had gone wrong and to run a thorough process to try and get the right candidate this time around. It was also expected that appointing in the summer would mean a wider pool of candidates.

Sunderland need to make a swift appointment that shows supporters they are ready to kick on from a disappointing second half of the campaign, and one that shows their determination to get both results and playing identity back on track.

While Mike Dodds has hinted at some slight tweaks to the club’s recruitment strategy this summer in order to ensure there is enough experience and depth to maintain a promotion push, it is clear that there will be no major overhaul.

As such, the new head coach will have a strong background in player development and will be expected to work within the existing structure, as well as with the current first-team coaching group (with perhaps one of their own appointments to that team). It remains widely expected as a result that they will look to appoint an up-and-coming coach with a strong coaching rather than management background – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be an appointment that excites supporters. Danny Rohl and Will Still are two examples who have both been of interest to the club over the last year – can Sunderland get a move for one of their key targets over the line?