EXCLUSIVE: 'Things have to change' - former Sunderland striker assesses Michael Beale

"The feeling at Sunderland is poles apart and it's the manner of the defeats. It's the manner of the draws. It's even the manner of the wins."

Michael Graham | Jan 25, 2024

EXCLUSIVE: 'Things have to change' - former Sunderland striker assesses Michael Beale /

Michael Beale has taken Sunderland from a fantastic team to watch, even in defeat, to one who can't even win in an exciting manner, says Don Goodman.

Sunderland made the controversial decision to sack Tony Mowbray at the start of December and the even more controversial one to appoint Michael Beale two weeks later.

He has not started well, and fans were already calling for his sacking after just seven games in charge following defeat to Hull City last week.

That has put Beale and those who appointed him under real pressure at Sunderland, and Sky Sports EFL expert Goodman, who spent three years as a player on Wearside, is as baffled as the rest of us about what is going on at the club.

Asked what he has made about what has gone on at Sunderland in the last couple of months, Goodman told us via casinoalpha.com: “Oh, where do we start?

“First of all, I don't blame Michael Beale, because if you're Michael Beale and you get offered the chance to become the manager of this massive football club, then you're going to take it, aren't you?

“So I don't blame him in the slightest. I look at the hierarchy. I look at their decision to remove somebody that was very, very popular.

“[Under Mowbray] the football was fantastic to watch. Win, lose or draw. I never saw Sunderland in a dull game. But that decision, it created a tension, and it wasn't a popular appointment.

“And when a board or a hierarchy make an appointment that isn't popular with the fans, the pressure is on to get results instantly. That can have an adverse effect on both a new head coach, but more importantly on the players who are now playing with a little bit more weight on their shoulders, a little bit more pressure around them.

“That's what I've seen. That's what it looks like. They look a different team. They look very pragmatic.”

Beale is on a three-game losing streak including the FA Cup defeat to Newcastle, although he has overseen a couple of positive results too.

There has certainly been no drop-off in terms of results, but he says it feels like an entirely different club to how it did a coupe of months ago.

“You know, the actual interesting thing is that if we just take the Championship games, it's won two, drawn one, lost three,” Goodman said.

“And then if you look at the six games before Michael Beale was appointed, there was a couple of games with caretaker in charge, but those six games prior were won two, drawn one, lost three.

“Then when you look at Tony Mowbray’s last six games, they were won two, drawn two, lost two.

“So my point is they're not dissimilar records, but the feeling is very dissimilar, isn't it? The feeling is poles apart and it's the manner of the defeats. It's the manner of the draws. It's even the manner of the wins.

“I think in the win against Preston on New Year's Day, Sunderland never had a shot in the second half. I mean, I'm shocked at that."

Michael Beale - Sunderland unhappy — IMAGO / Focus Images

While it feels like Sunderland's season is in danger of fizzling out, especially given the incredibly poor level of performance.

Goodman, though, says no one should be giving up on promotion at Sunderland - but things have to change and probably very quickly.

“I think what I would say is at the moment, all is not lost because it's three points off sixth place, although they're in 10th, they're only three points off sixth," he said.

“So it's all to play for, but things need to change. I think the difference between Tony Mowbray and Michael Beale is years and years and years and years of experience.

“When you look at Michael Beale, he's a baby in terms of coaching experience. He's a baby, really. And he maybe hasn't got the wealth of knowledge to keep that spirit within that group, given that it's a young group who have now started to lose games of football, where it needs to be and to keep the belief in them.

“And it's something that he's going to have to find very, very quickly, because it's not a popular appointment and results haven't gone down well. If they carry on that way, then he's going to lose his job because at the end of the day, that's the nature of the beast.

“The problem for him is where does he go from there? Now, I know that's not your issue as a Sunderland fan - you're not bothered about where Michael Beale goes from there - but I'm just pointing out just about how much pressure is on Michael Beale and how much pressure is on the players.

“So I don't know what the answer is. I don't see them week in, week out, but it seems to me that there's a lack of confidence. Like you, I'd rather see them just have a real go and lose the game of football than be relatively pragmatic.

“I mean, the game against Hull was awful. It was awful. Everybody I know [said it was awful]. I'm glad I didn't drive three hours to have to commentate on that, but I saw it and it was awful.

“I just think that performances have to be the starting point for Michael Beale. I think if fans see front-foot, attack-minded, all-action performances, you will forgive a defeat.

“I know it because I've experienced it up there in the three brilliant years I had there. So I think that's what his focus needs to be, the performances.”

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