The Sunderland Liz Truss - Where does Michael Beale rank in club's shortest serving managers?
Michael Beale will not be remembered all that fondly by Sunderland fans, but at least you can say his reign was short.
It's probably not even his fault, really. Beale was a bad choice from the start and it was quite clear to everyone, seemingly apart from the people making the actual decision, that he was just a bad fit for the club.
He didn't excite supporters and came with too much reputational damage from unsuccessful spells at QPR and Rangers.
That would have been fine though. Sunderland fans will always embrace anyone who embraces the club and delivers decent football and results.
Beale, though, failed to do either, too often behaving like he thought Sunderland should be thankful to have him when it was really him who landed on his feet.
If there is a reacher and settler in every relationship, Beale was a reacher who acted like the settler. It wasn't a good combination.
In many ways, Beale will probably be remembered as the Sunderland Liz Truss. Appointed to a job his record did not warrant, was not wanted by anyone, put the club into a nosedive and scuttled off probably more bafflingly confident in his ability than ever.
Where does he rank, though, in the list of shortest serving permanent Sunderland managers? Click through the gallery below to find out.
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