It’s been two weeks since Tony Mowbray’s axing from the Sunderland dug-out, with the Black Cats finally ready now to replace the out-going 60-year-old with a name that came from nowhere to then sit top of the rumoured list of replacements.
Bruised by his experience managing in Scotland with Rangers recently – dismissed by the Scottish titans after falling short of expectations in Glasgow – Michael Beale isn’t taking much time off to look inward and is instead throwing himself into another tricky and pressurised job if rumours of his imminent arrival on Wearside – per Fabrizio Romano – are correct.
Football pundit and ex-Gers boss Graeme Souness had choice words about this intriguing potential managerial choice, stating that the Black Cats job will be “just as difficult” as the one he inherited at Rangers when speaking to the Daily Mail.
Beale’s appointment does not have to be all doom and gloom, however, despite significant outside noise, with the former QPR boss still enhancing attackers both at Loftus Road and at Ibrox that could prove to be useful for Sunderland.
Patrick Roberts will be just one of many Black Cats figures that will hope to benefit from Beale putting his arm around their shoulder, with the Sunderland winger wanting to replicate Ryan Kent who excelled under the divisive 43-year-old.
Ryan Kent’s numbers under Beale
Beale did not just work with Kent on a one-off last season, however, the ex-Gers boss was also involved in the exciting winger’s development when coaching at Liverpool in the youth set-up before making the jump to first-team management later on.
Kent must have clearly enjoyed working under Beale during his time with the Reds as the 27-year-old attacker performed brilliantly under the manager’s ill-fated stay in Scotland, scoring in Beale’s first Old Firm Derby match courtesy of a fierce effort sailing into the back of the net.
The current Fenerbahce man only managed to score one more goal after that, but his creativity came to the forefront under Beale too – assisting a further three goals that season under the 43-year-old.
Beale was also assistant manager under Steven Gerrard when Kent was in his free-flowing Gers best, the ex-QPR man heralded as the brains of the operation behind the scenes when Gerrard was boss.
In total, the English forward scored 11 goals and created nine in 48 outings for the reportedly incoming Black Cats chief for Liverpool and Rangers combined.
Beale will hope he can put the division he unwillingly created at Ibrox firmly behind him – a disenchanted Gers fanbase turning quickly on the ex-Liverpool coach – and help the misfiring attackers in his new surroundings at Sunderland become more potent in front of goal and get his new expectant Black Cats fanbase on side.
Patrick Roberts’ numbers for Sunderland this season
Roberts has not been anywhere near his best creatively this campaign to date, only managing one assist in the Championship from 20 games played with zero goals also scored.
It is a considerable decline in form for the former Manchester City winger, who amassed five goals and seven assists under Mowbray last season.
Beale will hope he can reawaken the Roberts who exploded into life when playing for Celtic on loan back in 2016, even compared to Lionel Messi at one point during his prolific time at Celtic Park by then assistant manager John Collins – “You can see where people get the resemblances.”
Both are undersized, with the Black Cats star standing at 5 foot 6, wingers who favour their left foot and like to take defenders on by cutting into central areas, albeit Messi has had considerably – to put it lightly – more success in doing so.
The newcomer to the Sunderland hot-seat working his magic on Roberts, as he did with Kent, could be crucial for the Black Cats in their aim to be recognised as genuine promotion contenders, making the side a more terrifying prospect in attack for defenders to contain with Jack Clarke firing on all cylinders down the opposing flank.
The proof will be in the pudding as to whether or not Beale will be the right man to lead Sunderland to a sustained promotion push, but regardless of whether the aim of promotion is met or not, Roberts will hope he can get his flagging Black Cats career up and running again under the controversial new manager.
