Former Sunderland boss Michael Beale hung this 20-year-old player ‘out to dry’, it has been claimed.
Sunderland sacked Beale last month, but the wounds from that tenure are still very visible.
The Black Cats have lost their last five Championship games now; the first two were Beale’s last two games in charge, with Mike Dodds suffering three defeats from three since returning as interim boss.
Now dropping down into 11th, Sunderland are now nine points above the drop zone compared to 10 points outside the top six, following a 1-0 defeat vs Leicester City in midweek.
But there were some positives to take from the Leicester game at the Stadium of Light; Chris Rigg shone, and Adil Aouchiche looked good coming off the bench.
Adil Aouchiche enduring tough maiden season at Sunderland
Aouchiche was one of many youngsters who joined Sunderland last summer.
And like a few others he’s endured a tough maiden year on Wearside; Luis Hemir falls into that category, along with maybe Timothee Pembele and Nazariy Rusyn.
French midfielder Aouchiche, who joined from Lorient last summer, has now featured 20 times in the Championship this season, with one goal and one assist to his name.
The former PSG youngster though would become somewhat exiled by Beale for a few weeks after a poor cameo performance against Ipswich Town back in January.
Aouchiche would play just once more under Beale, having now featured twice off the bench under Dodds, impressing in the last outing vs Leicester.
And speaking on the Road Podcast about the 21-year-old’s season so far, journalist James Copley had this to say:
“I think he’s been poorly managed in his time at Sunderland so far. It’s probably been tough for him. He signed a five-year deal at the club, came in under Tony Mowbray, was just starting to find his feet, showed some flashes of real quality. Tony Mowbray then leaves the club, Michael Beale comes in, he plays against Ipswich Town… Michael Beale, let’s face it, sort of hung him out to dry really, afterwards. Then he’s [Aouchiche] nowhere to be seen for months.”
Youngsters need a caring figure
Perhaps the reason, or one of the reasons why Tony Mowbray was so good at working with younger players, is that he came across as a very caring and genuine person.
He was probably something of a father figure for these younger players like Aouchiche who’d left their home country to come to a cold and windy Wearside, playing in a more physical league of football as well.
That kind of mentor may be underrated, and it seems like Beale was maybe the opposite of that kind of manager or coach.
But Dodds might be the best of both worlds and that’s perhaps why Aouchiche has come back into the picture and why he looked good against Leicester.
Playing in a more advanced midfield role, Aouchiche can really damage opponents with some cutting passes in the final third, like when he put Dan Ballard through on goal late on in midweek.
With a bit more first-team exposure, confidence will come, and Aouchiche could really blossom into a useful player for the Black Cats.
Sunderland return to action vs Southampton this weekend.