The sunderland new head coach wants to step down.
Following criticism from Sunderland supporters for what appeared to be the head coach’s disregard for Trai Hume during their 2-1 loss to Birmingham City on Saturday, Michael Beale has issued an apology.
Midway through the first half, Jack Clarke gave the Black Cats the lead at Birmingham, who are currently coached by Tony Mowbray, Beale’s predecessor. Nevertheless, Sunderland returned north in vain after goals from Jordan James and Koji Miyoshi.
Regretfully, Beale’s situation has gotten worse because a video of Hume receiving disapproval became public online. The player approached the Sunderland manager and extended his hand to shake hands, but the manager chose to ignore him. Social media users were quite receptive to the video, with some even calling for the former QPR and Rangers manager to be fired.
Beale has now posted a statement in response to the incident on his personal social media accounts. “Trai Hume is a fantastic player for our club,” he added. He sacrifices everything for the staff and his teammates. I didn’t realize I didn’t shake his hand until someone asked me about it after the game. I went to visit him right away and apologized.
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“Trai passed this morning’s fitness test to participate in the game, but I don’t think any more highly of him as a guy or a professional. He embodies every positive quality of a young football player and our club.”
Since Beale was named the team’s head coach back in December, this occurrence represents the most recent outpouring of support from the fan base. The decision was poorly received by the supporters, who took to social media to air their grievances with the club administration.
He addressed the discontent among fans last month, claiming that he believed his cockney accent had a role in the response he had received. He began by mentioning Mowbray’s exit, a well-liked character at the Stadium of Light, saying, “I didn’t sack him, did I?! Are we acting like it was flawless because they won two out of nine before he left?
“You know what I mean, I am proud of where I am from, but I can’t change my accent or where I am from. Although I haven’t worked in London for a decade, it is evident that I’m from South London. Thirteen years in Glasgow, six years in Liverpool, and one year in Brazil. My accent is still the same!
“I’m willing to face criticism if we don’t score goals or commit errors frequently, but that particular one seems a little strange. So it’s okay if it’s about football. However, I believe that my journey merits a little more respect, and I deserve it.
“I believe you are disparaging the newest team in the league, which also has one of the lowest budgets. My squad was two points out of the playoffs when I took over. It is three now. Despite the fact that we have lost two close games, I thought our performances were respectable. I refuse to accept anyone who claims they are.
