Following Sunderland’s defeat to Birmingham City, a writer hinted at the club’s attitude on Michael Beale’s future.
Michael Beale is under mounting pressure after Sunderland’s defeat to former boss Tony Mowbray this weekend.
The Black Cats have won four of their last 12 games since Beale replaced Mowbray before Christmas, and they are presently eleventh in the Championship after two consecutive defeats.
The head coach also came under fire after appearing to rebuff Trai Hume’s handshake during yesterday’s journey to St Andrews, prompting supporters to call for his dismissal.
Sunderland are looking less and less likely to make the play-offs this season, but the club does not appear to be any closer to getting rid of Beale.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman were already widely condemned for appointing the 43-year-old in the first place, after he left QPR to have a disappointing time with Rangers.
The board definitely sees something in Beale, and Sunderland Echo journalist Phil Smith predicts they will remain by him.
Smith commented on the Echo’s YouTube channel: “I believe Michael Beale will face pressure if performances do not improve fast. If you look at the table, I believe the season is hanging by a thread.
“I think Sunderland will want to stick by Beale, whether we agree with that or not, they believe that he’s an excellent coach and in time the fruits of his work on the training ground are going to be seen.”
Will Kristjaan Speakman accept defeat on this one?
The choice to hire Michael Beale in the first place was absolutely perplexing, as it didn’t take a genius to see that it wouldn’t go well.
Beale is far from a ‘Sunderland manager’, and it hasn’t taken long for his ‘great’ coaching skills to completely turn this young, eager team into a collection of inexperienced boys who appear to have no drive to play football for this club.
It’s safe to say that we can rule out any prospect of promotion, but sticking with Beale will almost certainly result in us dropping even farther down the table.
We are already likely to lose Jack Clarke this summer, but a more dismal end to the season could easily entice Dan Neil, Dan Ballard, and Trai Hume to depart Wearside at the first opportunity.
The board must quit being stubborn, own their mistakes, and remove him before it is too late.
