Boss can be Beale deal

WHO were Sunderland fans expecting the club to attract when they launched their search for Tony Mowrbay’s successor?

Carlo Ancelotti? Graham Potter? Antonio Conte?

Well, they ended up with Michael Beale, after fans tracked private jets allegedly bringing in more mysterious and exotic coaches from abroad.

Fans are intoxicated by the next big thing, and it wasn’t long before the highly rated Will Still, 31, strengthened his position at Reims in the light of Mackem interest.

So in walked Michael Beale, fresh from the sack at Rangers, and the “noisy” fall out, polluting his immediate reputation as Sunderland fans researched who he was.

I can never understand why fans would make a new manager’s life difficult, and seem to turn against him before a ball of his new regime is kicked.

But it’s not surprising Sunderland fans are sceptical. Beale is their 19th manager in my 21 years covering North East football. That’s not a track record of making good, long-lasting appointments.

Look more carefully, though, and maybe Beale (above) has just the track record that hints he is just what the club needs despite yesterday’s thrashing at home to Coventry.

Sunderland want to develop and add value to the club with a clever, youth-based recruitment plan. They don’t see this as contradictory to challenging for promotion.

Beale has good experience. He’s recognised as a good coach, he’s worked and helped mould star kids at Chelsea, Liverpool, been assistant boss at Sao Paulo in Brazil, first-team coach at Rangers winning a title, and was then appointed Rangers boss.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman describes it as an “exceptional CV” and Beale will need support, which is what fans are there to do.

“If you are going to work in football, work where it matters,” Beale said this week. Quite right.