'Praise the players' - Sunderland boss wants no credit for overcoming 'nightmare' scenario

Michael Beale is cutting a much more humble figure nowadays, and the Sunderland head coach has just delivered more compelling evidence of that.

Michael Beale says it is the players, not him, who deserve the credit for turning around the game against Plymouth last week.

Sunderland were a goal down to Plymouth at half-time but a second-half blitz saw them finish it with a 3-1 win.

After the game, both Pierre Ekwah and Jack Clarke, two of Sunderland’s goalscorers on the day, said Beale’s work at half-time was critical in achieving the comeback.

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He, though, says it is actually the players who should be get the thanks, not him.

“The praise is with the players,” Beale said. “You give them information but they've got to go out and execute it, so to be 1-0 down at home against a team that you think will sit in and play in on the counter, probably you'd say for Sunderland, that's been our biggest nightmare.

“So to end the second-half 3-0, I was delighted with. I don't think we gave up a shot on our goal which is difficult in the Championship with the way the games are played and how direct some teams can be at times.

“[I’m] delighted with the players and it was three excellent goals. We played with much more quality, much more speed. We had a discussion about that.

“Sometimes the opponents play their big part in the game as well but each game you have to solve different problems.

“Where we were at half-time, to where we were at full-time at the weekend, it was a fantastic turnaround so credit to the boys for doing that.”

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