Michael Beale has revealed which Sunderland star he’s so ‘reliant’ on and there is no surprises to who he has chosen.
Michael Beale recorded his first win as Sunderland manager on Boxing Day by beating Hull City 1-0 at the MKM Stadium.
It was a hugely important three points for several reasons.
Not only was it a victory over their play-off rivals, who they leapfrogged in the Championship table, but it also dispelled any criticisms that surfaced following the 3-0 defeat against Coventry City.
After that harrowing loss in his first match in charge, Scottish football pundit Tam McManus even said Sunderland had an ‘absolute shocker’ replacing Tony Mowbray with Beale.
Whether his stance on the 43-year-old has changed following this impressive victory remains to be seen, but it does offer supporters encouragement heading into Friday’s clash against Rotherham United.
It was also brilliant to see Jack Clarke back among the goals as his superb strike eight minutes from time stole the three points.
Michael Beale says Sunderland are so ‘reliant’ on Jack Clarke
After scoring his 11th goal of the campaign, it was no surprise to see Beale salivate over the incredible talent he has on his hands.
The 23-year-old has carried the weight of expectation on his back all season and that winner only reinforced how important he is in their chances of reaching the play-offs.
Clarke’s tally of 11 is followed by a gap of seven in Sunderland’s scoring charts with Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham tied on four goals apiece.
It is clear that Beale is reliant on the Englishman to deliver the goods and he echoed that sentiment in his post-match interview.
“You could say there’s a bit of a reliance on Jack, but any team in the Championship would have a reliance on him as he’s such a good player and we make allowances for him to do what he does. Beale said. “I’m delighted for him to score a goal like that.
Beale needs other players to step up
If Clarke carries on performing at such a rate, Sunderland are in real danger of losing their star man – amid Premier League interest – and the other attacking talent around him needs to step up.
It is alarming that the former Leeds United man has scored a third of their goals this term (11 of 33) and netted nine of the Black Cat’s 13 goals on their travels.
Indeed, the last time anyone other than Clarke netted away from home was in the fifth minute of the 3-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in September.
As Beale mentioned, every side at this level would rely on him to deliver quality in the final third, but he has others in the squad who are more than capable of relieving him of the pressure to produce.
Patrick Roberts, Bellingham and Neil are just three of several who can transform Sunderland into a side many will fear in the race for the top six.