Sunderland are on the lookout for a new manager as they prepare to embark on a League One campaign after successive relegations.

Despite the issues they've had on the field in recent years, there is some optimism at last among the fans after Ellis Short agreed to sell the club to Stewart Donald.

The prospective owners first major task will be appointing a manager to guide the club back to the Championship after Chris Coleman was sacked last month.

And, two of the frontrunners are St. Mirren's Jack Ross and former Sunderland favourite Alex Rae who also had a spell in charge of the Buddies.

As our graphic shows, Ross did a much better job with the Scottish Championship side, guiding the team to the top-flight this season after a fine campaign.

Prior to that, he turned the fortunes of St. Mirren around after taking over in 2016, after an impressive spell with Alloa.

Clearly, he has a formula that works and the 48.6% win percentage is something that will certainly stand out to the Sunderland board who know the club need to go for promotion immediately.

As for Rae, he struggled in the Scottish Championship and suffered as many defeats as victories in his time in charge. Ross actually replaced Rae and things picked up under the 41-year old.

Whilst Rae knows the club, which is a benefit, and is a favourite with the fans, the stats prove that Ross would be a much better option as the Black Cats look to bounce back to the Championship.

Thoughts, Sunderland fans? Let us know in the comments below.