Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has been blasted for his treatment of now-departed boss Michael Beale.
It’s been a hectic week where Sunderland are concerned.
The club parted ways with Beale on Monday and soon after placed Mike Dodds in charge until the summer, where they then look set to make another permanent appointment.
Beale’s exit has been warmly received by the bulk of Sunderland fans who didn’t gel with the former QPR and Rangers boss. But in the wider footballing community, the news has come as a bit of a shock.
Beale only oversaw 12 games in charge of the club. Of those 12 he won four, with the Black Cats sitting in 10th place of the table at the time of his departure, and four points outside the top six.
Simon Jordan blasts Kyril Louis-Dreyfus over Michael Beale decision
One person who doesn’t understand the decision to part ways with Beale is talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan.
Jordan, former chairman of Crystal Palace, has now taken aim at Sunderland owner Louis-Dreyfus for the decision to not only axe Beale but to get rid of Tony Mowbray in the first place.
Speaking on talkSPORT, he said:
“He [Michael Beale] goes to Sunderland and, for whatever reason, the 12-year-old owner decides to employ him and then subsequently decides to take him out after five games.
“It was a surprising decision. It wasn’t a natural fit. I don’t know why they took Tony Mowbray out in the first place.
“I don’t know what that was about because ultimately he was doing a decent job. I think that was to do with the fact he spoke out of turn and perhaps talked about the transfer market when the owner was at school.”
Sunderland a learning curve for Louis-Dreyfus
What Louis-Dreyfus has done for Sunderland in such a short space of time is quite incredible.
He’s not only taken the club out of League One but he’s also set them on a fast-track towards the Premier League, with the club now having a vision and a set-up that is the envy of many in the Championship.
And on such a journey, there’s bound to be mistakes.
Mowbray may well have spoken out and that could’ve been a factor behind his departure. Though Mowbray was never the long-term boss that the Sunderland hierarchy wanted and so change was bound to happen at some point.
Then Beale; he looked like the wrong choice from the start and now it seems like Louis-Dreyfus has accepted defeat, and has made a smart move by putting Dodds in charge and giving himself until the summer to make the right pick for who comes in next.
Sunderland not only remain in play-off contention this season, but they remain a team brimming with young talent and plenty of valuable assets.
Beale’s tenure was a blip in the road but the club remains on a hugely positive and exciting trajectory under Louis-Dreyfus.