This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland continue their hunt for a new permanent manager with former Bolton Wanderers boss Phil Parkinson reported to have been in talks with the Black Cats' owners over the weekend, as confirmed in The Sun.

Parkinson, 51, is a free-agent having resigned as Bolton Wanderers manager back in August, having previously had managerial spells at Colchester United, Hull City, Charlton Athletic and Bradford City.

So would Parkinson be a good appointment at Sunderland?

We discuss........

Sam Rourke

"This strikes me as a sensible appointment.

"Parkinson has done well at his previous clubs, enjoying promotions with Bradford, Colchester United and Bolton Wanderers - he knows what it takes to get a team up.

"Ultimately, the Black Cats need a manager who has the nous and experience of achieving a promotion, and out of all the candidates linked with the post, Parkinson is certainly up there when it comes to that aspect.

"I do question the brand of football that Parkinson often tends to utilise, though if it gets results, I'm sure the Black Cats faithful will not complain."

Josh Cole

“This could turn out to be an incredibly shrewd appointment by Sunderland if they can convince Parkinson to take over at the Stadium of Light.

“Fantastic during his time at Bradford City, the 51-year-old led the club to promotion to League One via the play-offs in 2013.

“With Sunderland aiming to secure a return to the second-tier next May, Parkinson could be the ideal man for the job as he could use his previous experiences to his advantage.

“As well as securing promotion at Bradford, Parkinson has also guided Colchester United and Bolton Wanderers to the Championship in the past and thus will be confident in his ability to repeat the feat with the Black Cats."

George Harbey

“I think that this would be a solid appointment for Sunderland as they look to get their season back on track.

“Parkinson is a manager who will be desperate to get his managerial career back on track after a turbulent tenure of Bolton Wanderers.

“He’s a manager who demands 110% effort from his players, and ultimately, he’s a manager who knows what it takes to get out of League One having done so with both Colchester and the Trotters.

“His style of football may not be too pretty at times, but he knows how to win games at this level and I think it would be a coup to hire him.”

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