Michael Beale thanks the “fantastic” Sunderland supporters and shares what inspired him the most about their victory.
Michael Beale has delivered his verdict on Sunderland’s win over Stoke City
Beale on players
Michael Beale said he saw signs that the players were starting to absorb his messages from the training ground and thanked the Sunderland supporters for their support as they got back to winning ways against Stoke City.
Lots of individual things like Mason scoring his first goal. The work ethic of the boys and togetherness behind the scenes, it’s been a difficult few weeks with the last two or three results, but it was a really good win today.
“I’m delighted with the players and for them,” Beale said.
“It’s been an interesting start to my time at the club, hasn’t it. There’s a lot of emotion. I’m all in for the club. I want to be here for the long-term and it’s important that my team and our team go on the pitch and put in performances that the fans can get behind.
Beale on the fans
Today they did, but it’s just one performance and want to build on it. The fans were fantastic today. They have been home and away since I came here.
They were fantastic today getting behind the team, the players energised the fans and that made it difficult for Stoke.
Beale expressed that the past two weeks had been challenging, made more so by Alex Pritchard’s withdrawal from the team, but he hoped that the victory marked the beginning of better times to come.
It’s been difficult. I came into the club on my own so it’s not like there are loads of people from the past who I can lean on.
Beale on the staff
“The staff and the players have been fantastic. It’s important I focus on that. There’s a lot of things I think this group can do. It’s never easy. You come in and want things to go well, it’s never easy to face the speculation or to have the focus purely on me like it has been.
I hope it goes back onto the players now, they were fantastic today and so were the fans. I can’t fault the fans at all, they get behind the team. Look at the amount of fans we had in the stadium today. It hasn’t been easy but tonight will feel better for everyone.”