Journalist, Michael Graham has suggested the difference between Sunderland and Newcastle United citing Michael Beale and Eddie Howe’s coaching ability.
This weekend Sunderland welcomed Newcastle to the Stadium of Light as they looked to progress to round four of the FA Cup.
It was the first time since 2016 that the two sides were met and it’s safe to say that it didn’t go as Michael Beale would have hoped.
The away side opened the scoring as Dan Ballard unfortunately converted into his own net. Given that Alexander Isak was directly behind him, he had little choice.
Isak did get on the scoresheet just seconds after halftime as Pierre Ekwah lost the ball and the away side took full advantage. The Swede got his second from the penalty spot and condemned the Black Cats to defeat.
It wasn’t the home side’s day as they fell to defeat against Premier League opposition. With that being said, the difference in tactical awareness between the managers has been questioned.
The difference between Michael Beale and Eddie Howe
There was certainly a difference in quality between the two sides which can’t come as a surprise. Given that the Magpies qualified for the Champions League last campaign, there has to be some consideration given.
That’s not to say that it wasn’t disappointing to concede three at home and suffer such a heavy defeat to their biggest rivals.
With that being said, Michael Graham has opened up about Sunderland and their performance at The Stadium of Light.
On the negative side of the game, he said: “Jack Clarke never really given a chance to shine due to Michael Beale being so comprehensively outcoached by Eddie Howe. Beale talks about a gulf, but that one was probably the biggest today.”
Sunderland were outplayed throughout the game. According to FotMob, they had less possession, shots and big chances. This saw Newcastle able to come away with a comprehensive win in disappointing circumstances.
Despite that all being the case, Graham did have one positive point. He said: “Think Dan Neil showed a lot of quality today. Easy to see why top clubs want him.”
Neil did rank in the home side’s best three players on FotMob. He was able to show his ability in a difficult day. He had 91% pass accuracy and won 11 duels throughout the day which saw him keep the Black Cats ticking.
It was a day to forget for everyone associated with Sunderland and hopefully, Beale and Co can put it behind them.