Michael Beale 'perplexed and bemused' by Sunderland fan anger

If you thought Michael Beale might be in humble mood after Sunderland fans turned on him, think again. He's gone on the attack instead.

Michael Graham | Jan 25, 2024

Michael Beale 'perplexed and bemused' by Sunderland fan anger /

Michael Beale says he has ‘perplexed and bemused’ by how unhappy the Sunderland fans are since his appointment as head coach.

Beale has won just two games in seven since replacing Tony Mowbray and goes into a home game against Stoke on the back of three straight defeats.

The most recent of those was a 1-0 home loss to Hull, with fans in the Stadium of Light chanting asking the board to sack Beale towards the end of the game.

There has also been a strong outside campaign, with unhappy fans getting #BealeOut trending for several days on X, formerly Twitter.

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

Beale himself, though, says he is trying to ignore the ‘noise.’

“Listen, we've just lost two games, two close games, so on the back of that there's obviously anxiety in the fan base because we want to do well,” Beale said.

“We're in a similar position to when I took over, so there's still a lot to play for. I think some people weren't happy when I arrived before I even started playing a game. We have to just play the next games in front of us.

“I'm delighted with the way the players are working behind the scenes, the togetherness of the group and stuff like that. I just have to keep working with the players and if the results go the way it will change some people's opinion, but [for] some people it may never [change], so I have to face that as a fact really.”

Anger towards Beale is so ferocious at this point that it’s hard to imagine even a win against Stoke changing the mood around him from Sunderland fans.

Supporters are not only unhappy with results but also performances, which have fallen off a cliff under him, and the way he communicates with fans.

Remarkably, then, rather than trying to repair relations and build bridges, Beale chose this moment to go on the attack instead, launching a sarcasm-led sermon and calling Sunderland supporters ‘outsiders.’

“Listen, if we win that game [against Stoke], I think we'll go back just outside the playoffs on goal difference,” he said.

“[Sarcasm] So it's a huge crisis at this football club. I mean, the youngest team in the league, we haven't got the biggest budget. We're sat where we are, three points outside the playoffs with a home game coming up. I'm a little bit perplexed and bemused by the outside thing.

“The change was made by the club. We'd won two in nine when the change was made. In the next nine league games, the teams won four. So for me, that is an ongoing issue that we're not scoring enough goals.

“We're scoring a goal per game in the last 18 or 19. And we need to try and rectify that. We need all the support from the outside and the focus needs to stay on the team, I think.

“It was only a couple of games ago that we were three unbeaten, and the last two games in particular in the league have been very harsh on us, I feel. They were two really close games.

“We had more possession than Ipswich at their stadium. We had considerably more than Hull at our stadium. So to come out of both games losing the set plays are disappointing.

“We'd like the team to play better in the final third, a little bit quicker, play forward quicker, run forward as well. They're the things we're working on.

“But in terms of what the players in-house are giving me, I'm absolutely delighted in their work ethic every day.

“Like you say, everyone's aware of the noise in the background, but all we can focus on is the next game.”

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