Holding his hands up: But Di Canio is under fire at the Stadium of Light (Picture: PA)

Paolo Di Canio has just two games to save his job, with Roberto Di Matteo waiting in the wings to take over at Sunderland, it is claimed.

The Black Cats are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table with just one point from five matches following yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at West Brom.

The manner of the loss will be a worry for the travelling fans, who saw key man Steven Fletcher come off injured with 15 minutes remaining, and Sunderland struggling on with ten men having used all their substitutes.

Now Di Canio appears to be under pressure, with Black Cats chairman Ellis Short determined the club will not be relegated to the Championship.


Interested? Di Matteo has not worked since leaving Chelsea last November (Picture: AP)

Speculation today suggests he has former Chelsea and West Brom boss Di Matteo lined up to replace Di Canio should the team’s form not turnaround imminently.



Di Matteo, 43, has been out of work since leaving Chelsea in November 2012.

It is believed Di Canio, who is without a win since March, may only have two matches to save his job. However, the bad news for the Italian is those two fixtures are against Liverpool and Manchester United.

He said after defeat at The Hawthorns: ‘I am the person responsible. I want to show them I am never going to give up. I believe in what I’m doing.’

MORE: Hawthorns trip a ‘must-win’ for Black Cats