(Reuters) - Sunderland have named first-team coaches Billy McKinlay and Robbie Stockdale as joint caretaker managers following Simon Grayson's sacking, ahead of Sunday's Tees-Wear derby with Middlesbrough.
Sunderland parted company with Grayson with the north-east club third-from-bottom of the English Championship (second tier) after a 3-3 draw at home to Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday.
They have won just one of their 15 league games so far this season -- a 3-1 success at Norwich City on Aug. 13 -- and have 10 points after also having seven draws and seven defeats.
"A further announcement regarding the vacant manager's position will be made in due course," the club said in a statement on their website (www.safc.com).
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
