Michael Beale sends heartfelt message to Sunderland supporters
Michael Beale sent a message to Sunderland supporters one year on from the 3-1 victory against Plymouth Argyle.
Very few on Wearside will look back at Beale’s tenure with any real fondness given the fact it nearly ended in relegation for Sunderland.
After the highs of a playoff finish the season prior, the hopes were that Sunderland could kick on and build from that very sturdy platform, but it was never to be. Instead, a season of misery ensued.
Beale was never taken in well at the Stadium of Light and the performances on the pitch, matched by the results, certainly did him no favours with his inevitable sacking coming just days after the triumph against Plymouth.
Very similarly, it’s hard to imagine Beale being overly exuberant when looking back at his time here, aside from one moment that occurred during the clash last year with supporters thanked for what they did.
Michael Beale thanks Sunderland supporters
While very few supporters were keen on Beale as a manager, he was just another human being at the end of the day and one who had suffered a huge loss prior to the fixture with Plymouth.
His niece tragically passed away in the build-up to the game, and despite the uncertainty over his ability to lead the team forward, all of those at the Stadium of Light rose to their feet during the game to applaud in solidarity with Beale.
Almost a year on from the moment, Beale has taken to Instagram [8 February] to show his appreciation for the support received.
His post reads: “I wanted to send another big thank you to all the Sunderland fans and to remind people of their fantastic gesture for my niece Poppy.
“It was a moment of real class. Although I left the club a week later, It will always be a special memory and also a top performance from the lads that day. Good luck for the rest of the season.”
Lessons can be learnt from Michael Beale tenure
While the season as a whole was wretched, it will have provided a real wake-up call to the youthful Sunderland players that failure can leave a bitter taste.
That experience seems to have had a positive influence on those players this season, with Sunderland still in the hunt to achieve promotion back to the Premier League.
As those players get more and more experience in senior football, things can only get better for the Black Cats moving forward.