Sunderland set-piece weakness 'has come out of nowhere,' claims Michael Beale

Set-pieces are becoming a big problem for Sunderland, and it's a problem Michael Beale says he didn't see coming.

Michael Beale claims Sunderland’s costly set-piece frailty has ‘come out of nowhere,’ although he knows it’s his responsibility to fix it.

Four of the last six goals Sunderland have conceded have been from set-pieces, including Huddersfield’s winner in midweek.

It’s a frustration for everyone, with both Beale and defender Trai Hume acknowledging this week that it has become an issue.

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However, it is also something that seems to have caught Beale off-guard.

“In general, defensively, in open play I've been pleased with the team overall,” Beale said. “I think we've been hard to play against at times.

“I've seen improvements in players like Jack Clarke and Abdoullah Ba in their pressing and aggression to get around the pitch. We've seen that and then the set-plays come out of nowhere.

“We hadn't conceded for nine games from a set-play until we went to Ipswich and that's been the situation we've had.

“That's the thing with coaching a team. As soon as you think you've cracked something, something else appears.

“What we're looking for is a complete performance as time goes on, I'd like to think we're going to get closer to that.”

Birmingham will be just the sixth away game for Beale since taking over at Sunderland, with him winning just one of them – the first.

Since then he has drawn two and lost two, although in fairness Sunderland’s struggles away from home this season predates Beale’s arrival.

He has certainly shown more ability to effect games at home though, and generally his tactical tweaks have failed away from the Stadium of Light.

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“There's lots of problems to solve in football,” Beale explained. “One of the issues was we played possession in front of teams and they were sitting back and causing us an issue.

“After Saturday's result against Plymouth, certainly second-half where we score three goals and play really fast and running football, take the result away from them, that's really pleasing.

“Then you go away from home where a team are up and in your face. That's another problem you've got to solve. That's football, there's always another thing round the corner.”

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