Sunderland’s recent appointment of Michael Beale has been criticised by a Scottish football pundit.
Sunderland recently parted ways with Tony Mowbray after an inconsistent start to the season that saw the Black Cats mainly hovering around the top six.
Mowbray’s last game in command was a 1-1 draw against Millwall, which dropped Sunderland to ninth place, just three points out of the top six.
Mike Dodds took temporary leadership and won at West Brom and Leeds United before losing at Bristol City and handing over the reigns to Beale.
Following Beale’s contentious term at Rangers, which Chris Sutton characterized as “awful,” the appointment was welcomed with astonishment and criticism.
Beale then lost 3-0 to Coventry City in his debut game in charge at the Stadium of Light; Sunderland remain in ninth place, three points outside 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:
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 appeared to be on the verge of hiring a foreign coach with no prior experience in the English game.
And, if that had been the case, he might have been afforded a little more tolerance following defeats because it would have been his first term in English football.
But, with Beale, especially given his dramatic QPR leave and publicly panned tenure at Ibrox, there’s a sense of expectation, as well as a sense of astonishment at how he got the position in the first place.
Micky Gray, a former Sunderland player, has already questioned Beale’s loyalty as a coach, while also adding that Beale is’very fortunate’ to have landed the Sunderland position.
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
So given the circumstances, pressure could quickly mount on Beale, especially so if his side lose again today.
Although it’s a tough game, there could be a rapidly growing number of Sunderland fans, who didn’t want Beale in the first place, who now start to vent their frustration at the appointment.
Like McManus suggests, Mowbray was a well-liked name and a steady pair of hands, and this appointment of Beale certainly raises some eyebrows.
But he could completely change the outlook of his appointment with a win today.
Kick off is at 3m at Hull City’s MKM Stadium.
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