‘They did a fantastic thing’ – Michael Beale shares honest admission on Sunderland tenure
Michael Beale’s time at Sunderland was one of the darker periods in recent history.
While Sunderland are in the best position they have been in for a long time right now, off the back of their win against West Ham, it can’t be overlooked just how bad things really were previously.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has transformed Sunderland into a team capable of competing back in the Premier League, having spent years in League One at the start of his journey.
In the middle of that, Sunderland endured a rather turbulent campaign in the Championship under Beale, who has since spoken out about his time in the North East.
Beale full of praise for Sunderland fans after heartwarming gesture
In an interview with Business of Sport, Beale has shared his thoughts on his time at Sunderland, while pointing out where things went wrong.
Sunderland supporters didn’t take to the former Rangers boss at all, having been disappointed with the sacking of Tony Mowbray not long before he was appointed.
Beale claims to hold nothing against the supporters for voicing their opinions, but he was quick to praise the Sunderland faithful for their gesture towards his niece in a very difficult time.
“My last two home games there, we won both 3-1,” Beale said.
Beale’s record at Sunderland
- 4 wins
- 2 draws
- 6 losses
- 1 Tyne-Wear Derby defeat
“They did a fantastic thing, the Sunderland fans, for my niece, who was unwell at the time with leukaemia. They did an applause and the way they were towards me.
“But the feeling of the fans towards the appointment wasn’t right. And so, I don’t know. I think they had a really good affinity for the previous coach, and I actually took that as a good thing.
“I have no animosity towards Sunderland. Certainly, all the fans, the fans voice their feelings, and they have every right to do that. But at the same time, when my family was going through something difficult, they showed a huge amount of care and empathy just a week before I left.”
Beale still had a role to play in Sunderland’s promotion
While things turned sour when Beale was appointed, there were still things that he implemented that stuck with Sunderland for their promotion-winning campaign.
“Some of the things that we implemented and spoke about, they did go and they’ve said it on record, and the next year has been brilliant for them. And I’m so pleased for the people, people inside the club that are finally back in the Premier League.”
Results on the pitch weren’t great, but a lot was learned from his time at the Stadium of Light, which will have ultimately served as a benefit in the long run.
Just like Beale says, he has no animosity towards the support; that feeling is mutual, and all of the disagreements were purely based on the football.
Given the timing and the general feeling around the place, parting ways was certainly the right course of action, which has paid off massively for Sunderland.
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