Sunderland boss Michael Beale has hit back at recent claims regarding his exit from the club.
This week, Sunderland and Becket parted ways, with the 43-year-old managing just 12 games.
After consecutive losses to Huddersfield Town and Tony Mowbray’s Birmingham City, two of the sides battling for relegation this season, he departed the team.
Not long after Beale left, rumours circulated that he had misplaced the Sunderland dressing room key.
After a loss, it was alleged that Beale gave himself the day off and forced the Sunderland players practice harder.
Michael Beale plays down Sunderland dressing room rift
But Beale has now responded to those claims.
Speaking to We Are Sunderland, the departed Black Cats boss said:
“Just want to clarify that no players were given extra training after the game at Birmingham. All players were off as scheduled on Sunday and back into training yesterday as normal. Saturday was our third game in seven days and the day off was needed for everyone as planned.
“I hope the club find the right manager moving forwards. The fans deserve to get back to the Premier League where a club of this size belongs. I wish the club every success moving forwards. The players and staff were a pleasure to work with and reports of issues behind the scenes are a long way wide of the mark.”
A difficult situation for Beale post-Sunderland
It remains to be seen if the initial allegation of a dressing room rift is accurate. However, Beale clearly believed them to be false enough that he felt compelled to speak up.
In any case, nothing here really puts Beale in a good light, especially considering that it was his previous remarks that caused the first rift with the Sunderland supporters.
Naturally, the Trai Hume handshake controversy also doesn’t aid Beale’s position.
It might have been preferable for Beale to remain silent on this issue, even in the unlikely event that the rumours concerning disturbances in the dressing room were false.
After a tumultuous year that included stints at Rangers and Sunderland, Beale will likewise swiftly move on and reevaluate where he wants to take his career. The club has moved on.
Although he is still a highly esteemed football coach, perhaps management isn’t his calling. Though Beale will undoubtedly take a vacation from the game and wait for the current upheaval to pass, he might very well secure a position as a no. 2 or a first-team coach anywhere in England.
This weekend, Sunderland returns to action as the Black Cats host Swansea City at the Stadium of Light.
See more updates on https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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