‘Cue meltdown’ – 43 year old in advanced talks to become new Sunderland head coach

‘Cue meltdown’ – That’s what fans have said as 43 year old Michael Beale is in advanced talks to become the new Sunderland head coach.

The Athletic report that Beale is set to takeover with the Black Cats, and is expected to takeover after the departure of Tony Mowbray.

Beale, who has previously been manager of QPR and Rangers, is also expected to attend their Championship clash with Bristol City on Saturday afternoon.

It is said that Sunderland held a number of interviews with several candidates, with the likes of Will Still of Reims, but compensation would still have been needed to bring him in, and this has deterred owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.

Michael Beale is expected to be named as Sunderland’s next head coach. With @AdamLeventhal @PJBuckingham https://t.co/RDhR4u3E5O

— Michael Walker (@mwalker2771) December 15, 2023

Beale won’t be in charge for that fixture, with caretaker coach Mike Dodds to stay at the helm for that one, but instead will be on the touchline when they face Coventry City in front of a home crowd next week.

Beale has had stints working as first team coach with Steven Gerrard at Rangers and Aston Villa, before becoming the manager of Queens Park Rangers in June 2022, but left QPR after five months to become manager of Rangers, only to then be sacked from that role in October 2023.

He had a mixed start to his time at QPR, then found form, which sent them to the top of the Championship table in October 2022, Beale reportedly turned down an approach by Wolves to become their new manager, giving an interview on integrity and loyalty for the QPR website.

Then in November 2022, he accepted an approach to leave QPR and manage Scottish side Rangers, where he had worked previously as the first team coach under Steven Gerrard.

He started well there, but then his side suffered defeats to Celtic, with Rangers also finishing the 2022–23 season without a trophy.

He was then sacked in October 2023, after a third defeat in the first seven league matches of the 2023–24 season

This is what fans had to say with 43 year old Michael Beale in advanced talks to become new Sunderland head coach…

@LewisSAFC_: i’ll back whoever comes in and i think speakmen wouodnt just appoint anyone for the sake of it but beale to me looks a bit of a sideways appointment and not an ambitious one #SAFC

@Jst1992: @SunderlandAFC I’d rather have Ian Beale than Michael Beale in charge. Let’s keep the jokes til April lads. The bloke is a less athletic version of Frank Lampard. Useless. #SAFC

@samsonplace: Are the club that clueless to appoint Beale? Once again the free option. Fast forward a year to the next manager search. #safc

@JaiOliver5: Rather doddsy than Beale #safc

@TomHansford72: I don’t see how this is an upgrade to Mowbray on paper. I’ll back him, obviously, but the very, very early signs suggest this won’t end well. #safc

@J0shuaJ0rdan: In Dodds we Trust. #SAFC

@JaiOliver5: Beale is a disappointing appointment if rumours are true #safc

@adamguest: Unbelievable. Don’t think I’ve ever known a managerial appointment to be this underwhelming.

@brettd1981: Prefer Dodds , this is a backwards step and not even progressive in the slightest

@rfcmark26: Prays got the poor people of Sunderland. Haven’t they been through enough?

@YoungyCK1: Truly awful appointment @SunderlandAFC

@GarethSand3140: What was the point in sacking Mowbray

@GateshillRobbie: not watching under this clown @SunderlandAFC shocking appointment failed in the Scottish league, Sunderland doing a Sunderland again

@CALG1994: Unlucky lads

@DeanRobsafc: Not heard one fan want him. Just why? Most underwhelming appointment ever. Fanbase going to be in uproar if this is true.

@LiamTurnbull93: Might aswell of just kept Mowbray till the end of the season won’t be happy with this he nearly ruined rangers

@Rossalini22: 👀 very surprised if this is the manager we ditched Mowbray for. Succession plan and all that?

@FulwelI: Not very happy with this like. Could be wrong but very, very underwhelming.

@EthanSmith1717: From Will Still to Michael Beale… Not as exciting but I’ll support him

@DavidHindmarsh7: Jesus fucking Christ

@harry__stevo: Beale Out

@MiserableMackem:
Speakman is a cowboy,
he wears a cowboys hat,
Reims wanted compensation,
he said “no way, fuck that”.
He went into the dole queue,
And picked up Michael Beale,
“When my model crashes, it’s you behind the wheel”

@RossCheal10: Sacking Mowbray to appoint beale what’s the fucking point

@MJJ93__: Honestly, what was the fucking point in sacking Mowbray?

@RichySouthern: Probably won’t win a game, beat us in the derby, then not win a game, and then get sacked

@JHerra18: Surely 6th last season and currently 6th in another great position to kick in we can do better than him. Would rather let Dodds have it til the summer then reassess

@WadeSAFC: NOOOOOO Give it to fucking doddsy over this bastard. Awful manager who plays awful football.

@leech_tom: Fucking scandalous. Won’t be told otherwise. Absolutely horrendous appointment. 🤢
✅ Cheap
✅ Not forward thinking
✅ Got sacked from his last job
✅ Will be a Yes man (fits the model)
✅ keeps Dodds in the building
✅ Desperate
Absolute joke.
#safc

@stevebulch: Absolutely bottle Job in terms of who they could have had. He is the “safe” option in terms of being out of work so no fees etc to pay. It’s Parkinson, Grayson etc all over again and is very very underwhelming

@garryjarmstrong: This is like the time we appointed Phil Parkinson. Not what the fans want and not going to take the club forward. He’ll not last a year. As has been said by others sticking with Mowbray would have been a better option.

@StephenStubbs5: Backwards step, no ambition in that appointment at all

@huds8118: I mean I was completely gutted when we appointed Mowbray so should really think twice about twisting about a manager being appointed…… but fucking hell man Haway 😂😂😂

@lukec_safc: I agree Sacking Mowbray on the condition we were replacing him with a more ambitious appointment, this isn’t it at all. Calling it a sideways move isn’t correct either, it’s fucking backwards is what it is

@KrisMonkeyDay: This is not progress, reinstate Tony Fantastico right fucking now man.

@jonnymcfadden: I’ll get it started early #bealeout. Cant believe club have gone this route, what was point in sacking Mowbray to appoint this molefaced rat #safc

@Bsw1995: Sunderland doing things on the cheap again I see… Sacked TM with no one lined up, Speakmen and kyril working wonders hey… Don’t want Dodds in charge but I’d much rather him than Beale. Horrific appointment, get to fuck Speakmen and kyril can swerve it anarl #SAFC

@jakesafc2508: Realistically the same people who are saying this is underwhelming are the same ones saying that Thelin would be a good appointment, when they know nowt about him. This guy knows the league and before he left for Rangers had QPR top of the league? (I think?) Just back him #safc

@lee_willingale: Ah the cheap option who would’ve guessed this would happen.

@_wisemensay: Jesus fucking wept. All of the exciting names we’ve been linked with, the emergence of a very good coach. And we’re getting a jumped up cockney

@AidanGill_98: Absolutely fucking disgusting appointment. We were told “young and exciting”, “the man to take us to the next level”. Shambolic @SunderlandAFC

@MackemLoopyLisa: No fucking thanks. Id rather keep Doddsy!!!!

@mick8802: @krespeakman showing zero ambition with this appointment! Absolute abysmal! Should have kept Mowbray if this is all we can muster!

@tedthemackem: @KyrilDreyfus Michael Beale?! Are you actually being serious?! Either show some ambition and appoint a respected coach, or prepare to sell #SAFC

@AU_90_: Michael Beale is not an upgrade, id rather have Ian fuckin Beale!!! What a fuckin shit show of a club, just when we could take one massive step forward we take two backwards, in no way is he an improvement in Mowbray #SAFC

@MiserableMackem: Speakman sacked Mowbray for one reason and one reason only and that reason wasn’t that we had recent form of 1 point from a possible 9. He outed the model publicly, which saw him axed. Speakman is trying to drive the #SAFC car with the handbrake on. Michael fucking Beale? 😫 🤢

@AaronWalker94: Feels like fucking a comedown appointment this. KLD x KS put all their eggs in one basket (still) or haven’t wanted to pay the compo. Not the outcome us fans wanted but this is Sunderland after all 😅 #safc

Upon hearing that 43 year old Michael Beale is in advanced talks to become new Sunderland head coach, what do you make of this? Let us know via our socials!