MIKE DODDS will take charge of Sunderland until the end of the season after the club parted ways with head coach Michael Beale.

Having taken charge of the team during Tony Mowbray’s interim tenure, Dodds won six of the nine points he was awarded, including victories over Leeds United and West Brom.

Beale was named Mowbray’s replacement following a loss in his last game in command, but the two sides’ collaboration came to an end this past weekend when the former Black Cats manager was defeated at St. Andrew’s.

Kristjaan Speakman, the sporting director, has taken ownership of Beale’s appointment and subsequent departure.

“We are disappointed that Michael is leaving Sunderland AFC,” the speaker stated. Since it hasn’t been obvious that we want to improve, we accept full responsibility and believe that taking decisive action is in the best interests of the Club.

“This has been a difficult few months for Michael, who leaves with our best wishes for the future. Our focus is now on the players and supporting Mike Dodds in the remaining games to ensure we achieve the highest possible league finish.

“We will be updating our supporters further as and when significant developments are made.”

Dodds will now take charge for the remaining 13 games of the season, with Sunderland intent on finishing in the top-six before the curtain falls.

Speakman made vows to develop a team that would contend at the finish of the table in an effort to appease Sunderland’s desire to improve. At the conclusion of the previous campaign, he declared, “We want to be putting out a team that can be challenging at the top of the league.”

“No one is satisfied with getting into the play-offs – while it is a great achievement in the first year back, we have to keep being successful and we have to keep improving.”

Entering the last few months of the season, the Black Cats sit four points outside of the promotion spots.