WOULD YOU ADAM & EVE IT?

Black Cats boss Beale claims fans want him out because of his cockney accent

UNDER-FIRE Sunderland boss Michael Beale claims fans don’t want him because of his cockney accent.

The head coach has given an emotional account of how it feels to be hounded by a support base after just seven games.

And the former Rangers chief, from Bromley, South London, has demanded critics show “more respect” and stop “throwing negativity” at his reign.

Beale has been in charge for just six weeks, but insists he will win games and weather the fan protests after he replaced popular boss Tony Mowbray.

The 43-year-old blasted: “I didn’t sack him, did I? They won two in nine before he left so are we making out it was perfect?

“I can’t change my accent or where I am from, you know what I mean, I am proud of where I am from. I haven’t worked in London for 10 years, but obviously I am from South London. Six years in Liverpool, four-and-a-half in Glasgow, a year in Brazil. My accent hasn’t changed!

“I am happy to be criticised if we can’t score goals or repeatedly make mistakes, but that one is a bit off.

“So if it is about football, fine. But I feel I deserve a bit more respect because of my journey, which deserves that.

“I think you are throwing negativity at the youngest team in the league, with one of the lowest budgets in the league.

“I inherited a team two points out of the play-offs. Now it is three. We have lost two tough games and I don’t think the performances were terrible. Anyone saying they are, I can’t get on board with that.

“You get on with the work. I am not crying over it. I am a big boy. Personal things, when it goes personal, they have lost straight away.

“If people want to criticise the way the team is playing I will take that.”

Beale was chosen by owner Kyril LouisDreyfus to bring through the youngsters that the Black Cats hope to develop as they face former Premier League teams with budgets of five times their income.

Beale added: “When you have a young squad there is a lot for the fans to get excited about. They are getting older every day and we are investing in their future.

“We are five years-plus out of the Premier League, the riches are not there.

“The club has seen real progress in the last 18 months and we are a month into it. We have to keep pushing.

“We have had a change of manager for whatever reason. It is time to get behind the team, get behind the players.”