Sam Allardyce has admitted his overwhelming emotion will be relief rather than celebration if Sunderland secure their Premier League status tonight.

Sunderland will open talks with Sam Allardyce today as they attempt to fill their vacancy for a new head coach.

With Sunderland searching for a new manager following the departure of Dick Advocaat, a former occupant of the Wearside hotseat has pointed the finger at the Stadium of Light powers that be and suggested that had he been allowed to get on with the job, he might still be at the club.

Sunderland 2 West Ham 2: Former Sunderland defender Sam Allardyce, who has been taking a break since leaving his post at West Ham at the end of last season, is the early favourite to take over from Dick Advocaat, who left his job as head coach yesterday just four months after being persuaded to delay his retirement plans for a year.

Sunderland 1 Swansea City 1: Sunderland skipper John O’Shea has urged his team-mates to use their first point of the season as a springboard to ease themselves up the Barclays Premier League.

Jermain Defoe answered Sunderland’s call in their hour of need to hand head coach Dick Advocaat a first Barclays Premier league point of the season.

Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat admitted there was “something wrong” with his team after seeing them slip to a second comprehensive defeat in as many weeks.

Dick Advocaat has revealed he wants up to four more summer signings as he attempts to rebuild his Sunderland team.

Dick Advocaat changed his mind over returning to Sunderland after owner Ellis Short refused to leave him alone.

Dick Advocaat is looking forward to the challenge that lies await at Sunderland after agreeing a short-term deal to become the embattled club’s head coach.

Sunderland have appointed Dick Advocaat as head coach until the end of the season, the Barclays Premier League club have announced.

Dick Advocaat was travelling to Sunderland last night to discuss replacing Gus Poyet as the club’s manager.

Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has ended speculation over his future by signing a new contract with the club.

Sunderland have issued a “hands-off” warning to Southampton as the Saints start the search for a new manager.

One of Niall Quinn’s greatest feats as Sunderland chairman was recruiting Martin O’Neill but he admitted yesterday an audacious bid to prise Louis van Gaal to Wearside wasn’t so fruitful.

Sunderland 1 Swansea 3

Against all odds, Gus Poyet may be about to pull off one of the Premier League’s greatest escapes.

Aston Villa 0 Sunderland 0

As the man who recruited both Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane during his tenure as Sunderland chief executive, Niall Quinn is even surer the fusion of the pair will deliver for Ireland.

Martin O’Neill has left no room for doubt over who will be calling the shots in his Republic of Ireland partnership with Roy Keane.

New Republic of Ireland manager Martin O’Neill believes Roy Keane’s appetite for football will make him an outstanding assistant second-in-command.

It’s approaching a year since John Egan’s physical and mental pain subsided after a surprise visitor to the Darlington Woodlands Hospital.

Sunderland 2 Newcastle 1

Gus Poyet was today handed the task of dragging Sunderland out of relegation trouble after being named as Paolo Di Canio’s successor.

Gus Poyet will today become the new manager of troubled Sunderland.

Gus Poyet is close to being appointed as the new Sunderland manager.

Kevin Ball has urged Sunderland to build on the foundations they have lain during his spell in charge, irrespective of whether or not he remains at the helm.

Teenager Adnan Januzaj blasted Manchester United to a face-saving 2-1 victory at Sunderland with a superb double on his first start for the club.

Sunderland will take their time to make sure they find the right replacement for Paolo Di Canio after launching the search for his successor.

Former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce believes Paolo Di Canio paid the price for an outdated management style after being ousted by the Black Cats on Sunday night.

West Brom 3 Sunderland 0

Paolo Di Canio’s turbulent reign as Sunderland manager is over after the Italian and the club parted company.

A new private equity fund set up by ex-Lone Star vice chairman Ellis Short to buy loan books across Europe is establishing a unit in Ireland, a source close to the matter said.

Paolo Di Canio has revealed he offered to quit at the height of the fascism row which followed his arrival at Sunderland.

Controversial new Sunderland boss Paolo Di Canio is ready to take his place in the spotlight when he makes his first Barclays Premier League appearance in the dugout in tomorrow’s match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Martin O’Neill believes he should have been given the chance to replicate his achievement of last season and save Sunderland from relegation.

Paolo Di Canio's controversial political views are "pretty irrelevant", according to the man who gave the controversial Italian his first chance in management.

Paolo Di Canio will today begin the task of trying to keep Sunderland in the Premier League following his appointment as head coach late last night.

Sunderland owner Ellis Short has identified his number one target for the vacant manager’s job at the Stadium of Light after dispensing with the services of Martin O’Neill.

Former England international Steve Coppell believes the sacking of Martin O’Neill by Sunderland’s hierarchy yesterday is a sad indictment of foreign ownership of Barclays Premier League clubs.

Chelsea are set to back both a wage increase cap and a compromise financial fair play deal at today’s showdown meeting of all 20 Premier League chairmen.

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill insists naming only six substitutes for their FA Cup third-round draw at Bolton was not meant as a message to owner Ellis Short.

Sunderland 3 Reading 0