SAD NEWS: The incredible Sunderland star died in an airplane crash on his way back to the team for a training session after seeing his family. May his rest in peace.

A few days ago, a friend of mine turned to me in an oddly philosophical mood and told me that they felt as if they were in limbo now that we’d reached the end of the university year.

Completely disregarding their existential plight, my thoughts immediately turned to Sunderland AFC and similarities between the two.

Simply put, the club’s current status isn’t going down well, but is the length of the search really an issue, and is the club in as much trouble as some of the fanbase may claim?

I’ve been critical of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and the board in the past, and some of their actions last season were shambolic to say the least, with the appointment of Michael Beale and the shameful decision that led to the redecoration of the Black Cats’ Bar on derby day springing to mind.

With these failures in mind, it’s easy to be critical of the club’s ongoing search for a new head coach.

Confidence in Dreyfus and his board is at an all-time low after an incredibly mediocre and disappointing season, yet perhaps foolishly, I remain confident in their ability to find the right head coach.

To me, it feels as though the length of their search is proof that they’ve licked their wounds and learnt their lesson.

The appointment of Beale felt misguided and hasty, to put it mildly, yet it seems that this time they’re determined to do a more thorough job.

Many fans will disagree with me. That’s understandable and it’s also fair.

After all, the board have done little to win our trust on a number of occasions, yet I feel the proof of their confidence is evident.

Glancing at social media, it seems that the fans all have different opinions on who the next head coach should be.

Instead, the issue seems to be a lingering fear that the club is dithering and stalling so much that they’ll end up having to settle for a third or fourth choice candidate.