Sunderland’s recent appointment of Michael Beale has been criticised by a Scottish football pundit.
Sunderland recently decided to part company with Tony Mowbray due to a mixed performance at the start of the season. During his tenure, the team hovered around the top six, with his last game ending in a 1-1 draw against Millwall, leaving Sunderland in 9th place, just three points away from the top grouping.
Mike Dodds temporarily took over and secured victories against West Brom and Leeds United, but faced a loss against Bristol City before Beale assumed control. Beale’s appointment raised eyebrows and criticism, particularly considering his controversial stint at Rangers, which was heavily criticized by Chris Sutton as ‘awful’.
In Beale’s debut game at the helm, Sunderland suffered a 3-0 defeat against Coventry City at the Stadium of Light. As it stands, Sunderland remains in 9th place, still three points away from breaking into the top six.
Tam McManus blasts Sunderland’s appointment of Michael Beale
Former footballer and now Scottish football pundit Tam McManus has offered a rather scathing review of Sunderland’s appointment of Beale.
McManus posted on X:
Replacing Mowbray with him is like trading in a Ferrari for a Skoda. Not a Sunderland fan but i feel sorry for them as their owner has had an absolute shocker here. 🤦🏼♂️ https://t.co/Z29xOXAZV0
— Tam McManus (@The_Tman10) December 23, 2023
Sunderland are away at Hull City this afternoon for what promises to be another tough game for Beale’s side; the Tigers currently sit in 6th but have been in mixed form of late, losing three of their last five.
How soon will Beale come under pressure at Sunderland?
Sunderland seemed inclined to bring in a foreign coach unfamiliar with British football. Had that been the case, there might have been more tolerance for losses considering it would have been their initial experience in English football.
However, in Beale’s case, particularly following his controversial departure from QPR and his widely criticized tenure at Ibrox, there’s a sense of anticipation and considerable surprise regarding how he secured the position.
Micky Gray, a former Sunderland player, has already raised doubts about Beale’s coaching allegiance, suggesting that Beale is ‘extremely lucky’ to have landed the Sunderland role.
Given the situation, Beale could face increasing pressure, particularly if his team suffers another loss today. While it’s a challenging match, there might be a swiftly growing faction of Sunderland supporters who opposed Beale’s appointment initially and may now begin expressing their frustration.
As McManus indicates, Mowbray had a favorable reputation and was considered a reliable figure, making Beale’s appointment somewhat surprising.
However, a victory today could entirely alter the perception of his appointment. The match begins at 3 PM at Hull City’s MKM Stadium.
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