Michael Beale announced as new Sunderland manager

Michael Beale has been appointed as the new Sunderland head coach.

The 43-year-old Londoner has previously managed Queens Park Rangers in the Championship and Rangers in Scotland.

Beale’s first game as Tony Mowbray’s successor will be against Coventry City at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

The Athletic reported on Friday that Beale was in advanced talks to succeed Mowbray in the Sunderland hotseat.

Beale — who was sacked as Rangers boss in October — has joined Sunderland initially without the arrivals of additional coaching staff. Mark Venus, Mowbray’s assistant, also left the club earlier this month while Mike Dodds has overseen the last three matches. Dodds will now serve as Beale’s assistant.

“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril, Kristjaan and the rest of the executive team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me,” Beale said.

‘The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club.

“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”

🤝 Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Beale as the Club’s new Head Coach.
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) December 18, 2023

Sunderland chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus added: “I’m thrilled to welcome Michael to our club and wish him every success here at the Stadium of Light.

“Throughout our discussions, it was clear that he shares our ideals on implementing a high-performance culture and he is committed to a playing style that we feel is central to our progress.

“I would also like to place on record my gratitude to Mike Dodds and our coaching team for not only leading us through the interim period, but for adopting a bold and creative approach that inspired memorable back-to-back wins.

“Alongside Michael, I truly believe our people will continue to drive the club forward as we enter 2024 with renewed energy, excitement and optimism.”

Following this weekend’s home game against Coventry, Sunderland travel to Hull City on Boxing Day. Beale’s fifth game will be the FA Cup third-round tie against neighbours Newcastle United, which comes at home on January 6.

Beale was previously Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Rangers when the club won the Scottish title in 2020-21, having met Gerrard when the two were young coaches in Liverpool’s academy. Beale had previously coached briefly at Chelsea and in Brazil with Sao Paulo.

He was appointed QPR manager in June 2022 and after a difficult start took the west London club to the top of the Championship. Wolves approached Beale in October but he declined their offer.

The following month, Beale moved to Rangers following Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s exit. Beale saw his side finish second in the league behind Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic, who also eliminated Rangers from both domestic cup competitions.

At the end of September, Beale was dismissed by the Ibrox club after a 3-1 home defeat by Aberdeen left them third in the table, already six points behind Celtic. Rangers replaced Beale with Philippe Clement.

Beale won 31 of his 43 matches at the helm of Rangers but left the club without winning a trophy while his exit earlier this season followed a third defeat in their opening seven league matches.

Sunderland had conducted interviews with several candidates, with Reims English head coach Will Still the most high profile. Compensation would have been required to get Still from Reims and it seems Sunderland were put off by that.

Mowbray gave the team an identifiable style and personality, while caretaker coach Dodds oversaw two victories against West Brom and Leeds United before Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Bristol City.

Those results have Sunderland seventh in the Championship, one place outside of the promotion play-offs.

GO DEEPER

Master coach, wily tactician, now it's time to see if Michael Beale can run the show

(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)