Sunderland have endured a somewhat frustrating start to the League 1 season, with the Black Cats sitting in sixth place in the table heading into the international break, four points behind second placed Wycombe Wanderers and eight points adrift of leaders Ipswich Town.

The Black Cats have endured similar problems to last season, with Sunderland drawing 19 League 1 matches, as they missed out on automatic promotion, and they have already drawn four out of their opening eleven league games so far this campaign.

However, last season Sunderland were only beaten five times in the league, which was the fewest defeats suffered by any side in the division, but Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Lincoln City was the Black Cats' second loss already in eleven games this term and was enough for the club to part company with manager Jack Ross.

Ross' Sunderland tenure could have been much more successful had the Black Cats not lost in the finals of both the EFL Trophy and the League 1 play-offs last season, but having missed out on promotion to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final last term, the pressure was always going to be on the manager to go one better this term.

One of the names being suggested for the Sunderland job in the early stages of the club looking for Ross' successor has been former Black Cats striker and club legend Kevin Phillips, who has admitted he'd be interested in the job - as per Chronicle Live. 

Here, we take a look at two reasons why Sunderland should give Phillips the job and also two reasons why they should be cautious and look for other candidates...

Pro: An appointment to unify the fanbase

Sunderland supporters have been somewhat split over whether Ross was the right man to lead the club this season, with some suggesting that he performed well in stabilising the club following back to back relegations to League 1 and transform the club's losing mentality, but others believing he should have been getting more from the squad of players he has available.

There are certainly merits to both arguments, with Ross helping to make his Sunderland side really difficult to beat and start picking up consistent results, but also his style of football not being the most attacking and attractive to watch and also his conservative approach costing the Black Cats the ability to win enough matches.

Were Sunderland to appoint Phillips, it would be something that the fans could instantly unite behind and focus on helping the club go one better than last season and earn promotion back to the Championship, and the former Black Cats' striker would be given maybe more time than other managers to get things right.

Pro: Fresh ideas and fresh approach

Having had so many managers in the past decade and trying seemingly every type of appointment, from experienced, young and foreign coaches, which has seen Sunderland suffer from a lack of consistency in terms of the style they are playing in and players they are recruiting.

Sunderland supporters will be crying out for some fresh ideas and a new approach, which someone like Phillips, who is relatively new to coaching and were he to take the job it would be his first job in management, could provide around the Stadium of Light and could help to transform the club's playing style.

Having watched the at times negative and conservative brand of football that Ross' side produced for the last year, Sunderland supporters will be wanting someone like Phillips to come in and get the team playing a more open and attacking style of play, and having been a successful striker at the club he will know the type of football the fans like to see and will get behind.

Con: The risk of appointing an inexperienced manager

The most obvious reason for Sunderland looking elsewhere than Phillips to replace Ross, is the fact that the former Sunderland forward has very little experience as a manager and a coach and therefore it could be a very big ask for him to come in and instantly start picking up results in a very competitive division.

Sunderland could perhaps be better served looking to appoint a manager who has previously shown he can bring success to a team at League 1 level, with the Black Cats needing to get out of the division as quickly as possible so they can start to re-build back towards where they were a few seasons ago.

The Black Cats' players are in need of a strong voice from their manager to get to grips with the way they want them to play as soon as possible, and for an inexperienced manager that could be a difficult task for Phillips to instantly walk into the dressing room and get his ideas across.

Con: Not wanting to tarnish Phillips' legacy

The last thing that either Phillips or Sunderland supporters would be wanting, is for the former Sunderland striker to come in and not manage to get the club moving in the right direction and somewhat tarnishing the reputation he has earned as a club legend from his time at the Stadium of Light in his playing days.

Phillips made over 200 appearances for the Black Cats and scored over 100 goals between 1997 and 2003, making him one of the most successful strikers in Sunderland's history and cementing him amongst the club's most favoured former players.

There have been plenty of other examples where players of former clubs have been appointed as that club's manager, only for them to not manage to be successful in their role and end up tarnishing their reputation within the club and their standing in the club's fanbase, which is something Sunderland will not want to repeat with Phillips.