Michael Beale has been criticised for ‘draining’ Sunderland after only seven games in charge.
It’s fair to say Michael Beale‘s appointment wasn’t met with great delight last month, with the 43-year-old taking the reins from fan favourite Tony Mowbray.
Rangers fans had warned Sunderland of how poor of a manager Beale actually was, but rather just a good talker.
The Wearside faithful gave him a chance though, but were instead ‘rewarded’ with a 3-0 hammering by Coventry City in his first match.
Sunderland have since lost four in seven games, with their football looking more dull and frustrating each week.
There has already been plenty of calls for Sunderland to sack Beale after just a month, while journalist Michael Graham has claimed the former QPR coach is ‘draining’ a squad that was once ‘full of energy’.
Speaking to Ally McCoist on talkSPORT (as per Daily Record), Graham said: “Normally when a club appoints a new coach they’re taking over a very bad team that fans don’t enjoy to watch but Michael Beale’s biggest issue is that he’s taking over a team that fans loved to watch and he’s immediately turned them into a bad team.
“The fans never turned on Tony Mowbray and Beale has come in and made things worse. I wish I could put my finger on what it is. Sunderland have this great young team with quality young players who are full of energy, life and verve and it’s just drained way in an instant. They aren’t playing with any joy, pace or belief.
“They used to be such a good team on the break but not every pass is going back or sideways and it’s just drained. That’s the only word I can use – it’s just draining. Under Michael Beale we haven’t been creating and even the games Sunderland have won under Beale, the fans haven’t enjoyed the football. But before even when we were losing we were enjoying what we were seeing. He’s turned it around completely in the worst way.
“It’s not like the fans haven’t given Beale time. The fans have been willing to believe and let him have a go but there’s this draining effect that he’s had on the team and the fans and I don’t know how he’s done it.”
Can Sunderland come back from this?
There is no better way to describe it than Michael Beale has just drained all the life out of this squad.
Last season, we were comfortably one of the most exciting teams in the Championship. We had so many young, lively players who were willing to run at defenders, put a foot in and drive forward.
We spent a large chunk of the campaign without Ross Stewart, but our hard work and pure talent got us through. Fans would look forward to our performances, but not anymore.
Not only is Michael Beale failing to pick up results, but his team is now playing some of the worst football we have seen at the Stadium of Light.
The players look lost for ideas and it honestly looks like he has managed to get rid of any bit of confidence, determination or even talent that they had only six months ago.
It is only going to get worse as well, so Sunderland need to get rid of him before he does permanent damage.