After just two months in command at the Stadium of Light, Michael Beale was fired by Sunderland. Michael Dodds will take over as manager until the end of the current campaign.
Michael Beale was fired by Sunderland after just 12 games in command of the team, and sports director Kristjaan Speakman has given an explanation for the move.
Following their 2-1 Championship loss to Birmingham City on Saturday, the decision was made official on Monday afternoon. In his twelve games in command at Sunderland, Beale won just four and lost half.
With 13 games left, the Black Cats are only four points off of the Championship play-off spots, which is why he was fired. Mike Dodds, who led the team to consecutive victories in December, has been officially named the team’s temporary head coach for the rest of the campaign.
After Beale’s statement, Speakman explained the reasoning behind the most recent modification in the dugout. “We are disappointed that Michael is leaving Sunderland AFC,” the speaker stated. Since it hasn’t been obvious that we want to improve, we accept full responsibility and believe that taking decisive action is in the best interests of the Club.
“We send our best wishes for Michael’s future as he departs after a trying few months.
“In order to guarantee that we get the best league finish possible, our attention is now on the players and helping Mike Dodds in the remaining games. We will keep our supporters informed when new information becomes available.
Swansea City will visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday, when Sunderland will play their next game. With games remaining against Norwich, Leicester City, Southampton, Leeds, and West Brom, the Wearsiders have a string of important matches ahead of them.