Michael Beale is under pressure just seven games into his Sunderland stay, following a defeat against Hull City.
Michael Beale said he would ‘take responsibility’ following a contentious night at the Stadium of Light, but he felt shouts demanding for his dismissal were not beneficial to the squad.
Sunderland struggled against a Hull City team missing several important players, and frustration turned to wrath when Fabio Carvalho’s deflected effort struck the top corner midway through the second half. After the final whistle, some in the crowd screamed’sacked in the morning’, while others booed and chanted ‘we want Beale out’.
Beale admitted that the outcome was harsh on Sunderland given Hull’s lack of attacking threat, but he understood the fury of the home fans. He urged them to support the ‘youth group’.
“I believe this young group is finding it difficult; it’s the first time I’ve encountered it,” Beale remarked of the chants.
“I’d want the fans to rally behind them; I understand the frustration. They can see the players’ effort on the field and any assistance they can provide, and they must grasp the strength of that… when you’re at home and at a club like this, you expect to win, and we are the same; we’re deeply unhappy.
“I’m only one month into the work. It demonstrates the current expectations for managers. I believe the supporters must rally behind the players on the field because they are a young bunch, and I believe they underestimate the strength of their support for that young group. I’ll take anything comes my way, and I’ll accept the burden of managing this club. It is what it is; people are delighted when you win games, and unhappy when you don’t. For me, the outcome tonight was tough on us.”
The decision to remove Tony Mowbray has continued to divide opinion, with Beale facing a difficult task in winning over supporters after a mediocre run of performances since his arrival. Beale admitted he had little control over the situation but pushed on finding reasons to be optimistic.
Hull’s victory propelled them over Sunderland in the table and into play-off contention ahead of Saturday’s games.
“It demonstrates that Tony did a wonderful job, that his fans were enthusiastic and appreciated him. That is no longer the case; he now manages a rival team in the Championship. He has a lot of supporters within the club, he’s a guy I know from coaching against him and on the circuit, and he’s someone I like. It was not my decision; I came in after it was made.
“I’m doing my best with the staff that we have and this youthful group to achieve our goals. We have 18 games left and are in a better situation than we were at this point last year, so I believe we can see the positives. Many players want to play with this club, and many people want to coach it. “That should tell you something.”
