There we have it. The worst kept secret in football has finally been revealed. Michael Beale is the new Head Coach at Sunderland AFC.
If social media has long since replaced the pub debate to measure the strength of feeling amongst our fan base, then disappointing and underwhelming certainly don’t do it any justice. We’ve had both positivity and negativity with plenty of managerial appointments in the past, but it feels like a while since the reaction was as extreme as this one. Phil Parkinson wasn’t well received, and his tenure is looked back on with much disdain. Ditto Howard Wilkinson. I certainly don’t think we’ve reached those kind of levels, but it’s safe to say Beale’s appointment hasn’t gone down well with the majority of the red and white faithful.
Since the departure of the popular Tony Mowbray, Sunderland’s manager search had taken them largely to France to court Julien Sable and William Still, and also to Scandinavia, where one or two more left field, highly thought of coaches in the shape of Kim Hellberg and Jimmy Thelin were linked with the vacancy. It became pretty clear early on that Sunderland were looking for a young, innovative head coach; one more of the continental variety. Once the deal for front runner Still became a no go, Michael Beale’s odds on taking the job plummeted.
The powers that be at the Stadium of Light believe they have the right man. How they arrived at that point is anyone’s guess; (they have stated that he was in the running all along), but now that he’s here, I think we have to back him.
I listened to Michael’s first interview with great interest. It’s hard to gauge exactly what we’re getting in a mere four minutes or so but I was surprised. Comparisons with Lee Johnson were inevitable due to how he articulates himself and with the odd buzzword thrown in, but I think those Johnson comparisons may be a little harsh. It’ll be interesting to see how Beale speaks to the media after a defeat, but here’s hoping there won’t be too many of those for him to contend with.
Like many, I haven’t been enthused by the appointment, and to be honest, that’s probably because the club were initially looking for something else, despite what they’re now telling us. He wasn’t their number one choice. They were looking for something slightly different. I have to say, I did like the way Beale answered the questions that were put to him. It was noticeable how he says he thrives being on the training pitch, ‘driving’ the whole thing. That’s how it should be. Hopefully the players buy into that. He’s inheriting a good squad and he knows it, and acknowledges the work put in by Tony Mowbray and Mike Dodds before him. It’s all there, oven ready, for us to carry on and have a successful season. There are still 24 league matches to go after all.
There will of course be huge scepticism about the appointment of Beale. At the time of writing, I am still in that camp myself, but isn’t there always at least a little scepticism and doubt when a new manager takes the reins at any club? Especially when a popular figure like Mowbray is the man who has headed out of the exit door.
At the minute, all we have is Beale’s records at QPR and Rangers to scrutinise, and his encouraging words in his maiden club interview. He was highly thought of at Liverpool and Aston Villa, but of course, he was not a number one at either of those clubs. He has experience of working in Brazil with Sao Paulo also.
Beale will obviously be judged by results. That is always the reality. When we look at the fixture list, the next five are tough games on paper, including the one taking place on 6th January. Beale took 32 Championship points from 22 matches at QPR. If he does that here, we’ll find ourselves on 65 points with two games remaining. We sneaked into the playoffs last season with 69. The squad he has inherited at Sunderland is a much better one than that QPR side. It bodes well if we aim to take the positives and look at it like that way. He has to start well and hit the ground running, beginning with this Saturday as Coventry City head to Wearside.
Yet another new era has begun at Sunderland. Strap yourselves in for a bumpy ride, but then again, we’re all used to that, aren’t we?
