Michael Beale says he has 'a lot to improve' after another shocking Sunderland showing

Michael Beale said that there was a lot that he had to improve after defeat to Birmingham, and insisted that his own improvement had to come before the team were able to.

Sunderland went in at half-time 1-0 up after Jack Clarke’s 15th goal of the season, but a totally abject second-half showing saw them sink to a 2-1 defeat.

It leaves them four points adrift of the play-off places and with fan morale very low on Wearside after failing to see any hint of encouragement from a team that just a couple of months ago was to wonderful to watch.

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“We have to find a way of getting results away from home,” Beale said. “Our away form is nowhere near good enough.

"Sometimes, you've got to say fair play. We won the ball back at times and turned it over on the first pass. As good as we were in the first-half, playing through them when they were pressing us, second-half we found it difficult.

“When they had it, I thought we were a bit disjointed. We tried to switch it up and get two playing higher up the pitch later in the game. Certainly with Jobe going further forward, then bringing Hemir on at the death.

"Even when we had a couple of chances at the end, we're unlucky with the Mason goal. It's marginally offside and it's the correct decision having seen it back.

“We're unlucky in that moment at 1-1 because it would have been a big moment in the game. In the second-half, it was Birmingham doing all the pushing and we made a lot of individual errors in the second-half."

"When teams come and press us, we have to be braver at times to play forward.”

A key moment in the game came just before the Birmingham winner. Jobe Bellingham had the ball on the edge of the box and Jack Clarke was completely unmarked to his left.

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A simple five-yard pass would have set Clarke clear, but Jobe turned inside instead and was tackled.

"We have to be better in possession certainly when we regain the ball,” Beale said. “There was times today in the middle of the park and we gave the ball away on the first pass. Then you leave yourself vulnerable to a quick counter the other way.

“Some of our decision making at times in the second-half, albeit at times in the first-half I thought we looked a good team. There's a lot for me to go away and improve on. Me first and then the team will follow."

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