Sunderland are planning for an exciting new era after taking the decision to sack Phil Parkinson over the weekend.

The Black Cats have endured a difficult start to the season which has seen them sitting in eighth position in League One after 13 games.

That means that the club have plenty of work to do if they're to secure promotion this season.

Removing Parkinson from his position may be seen by many as a positive move, but there's every chance that his dismissal could have a negative impact on the camp.

Here are three potential repercussions to his sacking.

Upsetting the players

Players build relationships with managers and coaches during their time at a club, and I'm sure that life under Phil Parkinson was no different.

While supporters may be supportive of the decision to sack him, that doesn't necessarily mean that the first team squad will be as supportive of the call if they had a particularly strong bond with the boss.

If they disagree with the call then there's every chance that their heads could drop in the coming weeks, meaning that Sunderland would have a problem.

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A period of transition under a new manager

The search is underway for a new boss, but we can't assume that the next man in charge will hit the ground running.

Every manager has their own methods, tactics and philosophies and those things often take time to sink in when they take over at a club.

Any boss who comes in to the Stadium Of Light may face a tricky test to settle in which could in turn mean that it is a matter of weeks or even months before we really see what they have to offer.

Too little too late

While the Sunderland hierarchy have been decisive in getting rid of Phil Parkinson, it doesn't necessarily mean that the decision will pay off.

The Black Cats are off the pace at this point and with over a quarter of the season go that is a real blow in their pursuit of promotion.

While there's plenty of games left to play it is the Wearsiders who will need to play catch-up and that means that there's no guarantee that they can make up the ground on the club ahead of them in the League One table.