Sunderland sack head coach Michael Beale after two months in charge

Sunderland is on the hunt for their 22nd manager in just as many years, as they terminated Michael Beale's contract on Monday, despite only appointing him as Tony Mowbray's replacement at the Stadium of Light just two months ago.

The ex-Rangers and QPR coach was only able to secure victories in four out of the twelve games he managed since his appointment on December 18th. As a result, he has resigned from the Championship club, which is currently ranked tenth in the second tier, trailing behind a playoff spot by four points.

It has been reported that there were rising tensions between the 43-year-old Londoner and the owner of Sunderland, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, due to the former's concerns about his young team not having an experienced center-forward. Mowbray had publicly highlighted this issue in the club's recruitment plan, which is said to have caused a disagreement with the owner.

Beale's political issues at the board level are increasing, and he hasn't gained the support of the Sunderland fans. This disapproval only intensified after he seemingly disregarded Trai Hume when substituting him in the 88th minute during Saturday's loss at the cherished Mowbray’s Birmingham.

The TV images demonstrate how the former manager disregarded the player's attempt to shake his hand. Afterward, Beale expressed remorse for his mistake on social media. He denied any intention of refusing to shake hands and instead lauded Hume's professionalism.

Following a successful stint as Steven Gerrard's assistant coach at both Rangers and Aston Villa, Beale has now ventured into the role of a head coach, which has proven to be more challenging. He lost his job at Rangers in October last year, only after being in the position for less than a year. Things have been even more difficult for Beale since he moved to Wearside.

Louis-Dreyfus and his football director, Kristjaan Speakman, had originally considered bringing on Will Still as the next Sunderland coach. Still is currently a head coach at Reims and is 31 years old. However, the duo decided against it due to the high compensation fee demanded by Reims. As of now, it's unknown if they will make another offer to persuade Still to join the Stadium of Light.

It is likely that Speakman will experience a great deal of stress in ensuring that this new appointment is successful, especially as it is expected to pave the way for Sunderland's promotion to the Premier League, which is what Louis-Dreyfus is aiming for. At the same time, Speakman must also take into account the fans' growing dissatisfaction and make efforts to satisfy them.