Fan Letters: “It doesn’t seem like Michael Beale is an improvement over Tony Mowbray.”

Today’s mailbag contains compliments for Roker Report’s most recent “Editorial” section and worries regarding Sunderland’s selection of head coach! Have a statement to make? Send us an email at RokerReport@yahoo.co.uk.

Dear Roker Report,

The usual excuse in defence of Michael Beale is that he needs time to stamp his style on the team.

On the face of it, that sounds reasonable enough and ten years ago, I would’ve agreed with it. However, the problem is that with our current setup, we shouldn’t need to wait for this to happen.

We’ve settled on a particular playing style as a club. It’s said to be ingrained in our DNA, and the main idea behind this strategy is our consistency.

As a result, we don’t need to do a complete revamp each time we replace the head coach, making his function flexible. We’re simply substituting a new player who is more qualified to carry out that kind of play.

This implies, therefore, that there will be little time for a changeover. If this is the case, fans might reasonably anticipate improvements from Beale now rather than in two months.

As long as we had a strategy in place to replace Tony Mowbray with someone who could lead us to greater success, I had nothing against firing him. But I believe it’s accurate to state that there was no such plan in place.

Based on our data-driven approach, we may have had a list of possible targets; but, I highly doubt that Beale was on that list.

Assuming a generous interpretation, Beale’s appointment was at most a misguided decision. Sunderland’s current issue stems from the overwhelming amount of evidence indicating that this assessment is overly sanguine.

Nothing I’ve seen so far convinces me he’s the right man for the job, and he’s almost certainly a step down from Mowbray.

Let’s consider some broad comparisons…

• Mowbray was criticised for not having a ‘Plan B’, but Beale doesn’t appear to have a ‘Plan B’ and at times, I’m not even sure he has a ‘Plan A’.
• Mowbray was criticised for not making substitutions until the 65th minute, and now Beale isn’t making them until the 85th minute.
• Mowbray was criticised for playing players out of position, and Beale is doing exactly the same.
• Mowbray was criticised for sticking with his favourite players regardless of form or the opposition, and Beale appears to be doing the same.
• Mowbray was criticised for not playing our strikers, and Beale isn’t making use of them either.
• Mowbray was criticised for not getting service to our strikers on the rare occasions one played, and they’re equally starved of service under Beale.

• None of this suggests that Beale is a step up from Mowbray, but coupled with his questionable record in the top job at QPR and Rangers, it does suggest that he’s a step back for Sunderland.

  Also, I don’t think that what I’ve written so far gets to the heart of why he’s a downgrade on Mowbray.

  Where Mowbray really shone as a coach was in establishing a team spirit. For many of our young players, it really was a bit ‘like playing in the park with your mates’, and they loved life here.

  His success in this area was based on the fact that despite all of the data used by our club, Mowbray always remained very human. He was a guy you would fight for and a guy who made you feel relaxed and confident.

  In contrast, does anyone think that Beale has those qualities?

  If he did, would we have players arguing on the pitch? Did Alex Pritchard look like he had a strong and warm bond with Beale when he went off on Saturday? No, absolutely not.

  It’s also a worry that under Beale, our greatest strength – our team spirit – seems to be disintegrating, and that never ends well.

  Appointing Beale was clearly in part driven by the fact that we didn’t have to pay anyone to secure his services. I get that, but I’d argue that it was short sighted and a false economy.

  The money we saved by not paying compensation for the right man is money we’re just going to have to pay to eventually get rid of Beale. The only difference is that instead of paying the money upfront and moving forward, we’ll pay the money a bit later having spent months going backwards.

  Don’t get me wrong: I support Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and I also rate the job that Kristjaan Speakman has done, but we all make mistakes and they both need to accept they dropped a clanger on this one.

  They got it wrong, but what would be worse is blindly sticking by that mistake.

  Beale is already a dead man walking, so it’s only a matter of time. Best to start looking for a successor now so at least we’re properly prepared for a change.

• Andrew White

  Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Andrew. Thanks for your letter.

  Fundamentally, I share and agree with your concerns about Michael Beale and I’ve been quite vocal about the fact that for several reasons, I don’t believe his appointment will lead to success and that the process that led to him succeeding Tony Mowbray was flawed.

  Even though results since he took charge have generally been OK, there’s been little evidence of the tactical sharpness that supposedly set him apart from the other candidates for the role, and I have real concerns about whether the players are buying into his methods, as well.

  Your point about Tony Mowbray helping to develop a very strong team spirit was absolutely correct as well, and I’m not convinced that Beale, a far less experienced coach with a less distinguished CV, will be able to build on it.

  Time will tell, and we may both be proven wrong, but the early signs aren’t particularly encouraging, and Friday’s game against Hull feels like a fixture of even more significance for the Lads.

   

  Dear Roker Report,

  I read Gav’s editorial today and just wanted to say that I think Roker Report is a fantastic place for all Sunderland supporters to voice their individual opinions.

  Yes, we all have different ideas but we all want a successful and entertaining team and I don’t think any of us who email in think that these are the opinions of Roker Report.

  Just to make it clear, my emails are my personal thoughts only and I’m sure that applies to everyone else.

  Keep up the good work, guys.

  Philip R Wright.

   

  Dear Roker Report,

  What a great letter from Karen Kerrison, and I concur with everything she’s written.

  Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Kristjaan Speakman and Michael Beale have undone the great work of the last year or so in a matter of weeks.

  I’m afraid that if something isn’t done to arrest this slide, I don’t think I’ll be renewing my and my grandchildren’s season tickets, along with my friends.

  Arthur Thompson

  Ed’s Note [Phil]: Hi, Arthur. Thanks for your letter.

  Personally, I don’t feel as though the good feeling that’s built up around the club since promotion in 2022 has disappeared entirely, although I take your point about things maybe not feeling as positive as they did during 2022/2023 after quite a turbulent season so far.

  On the other hand, we still have a very talented squad with plenty of skilful players, and what’ll ultimately keep people’s spirits up are performances, results and signs of continued progress.

  If we can turn in a better performance and take three points from Friday’s big televised game against Hull City, the picture will look more positive, such is the fickle nature of football!