Such was his turbulent and troubled start, and with all that’s occurred on and off the pitch, it’s hard to believe his tenure is only 10 games old.
There was a brief spell when you couldn’t help but wonder if he’d reach double figures in the dugout but those doubts disappeared and it’s of immense credit to Beale that he managed to ride out those testing times.
Life on the Sunderland rollercoaster.
That’s applicable to Beale’s time in charge on the whole – let’s be honest, that’s life as a football manager – but there have been far more highs than lows on the pitch for the Sunderland head coach in recent weeks. His team are unbeaten in three games now, and it’s worth pointing out here that only four teams – the league’s top three and in-form Coventry – have picked up more league points than the Black Cats since the head coach’s appointment.
As for which team Sunderland are going to be, well if they can continue to play like they did in the second half against Argyle on Saturday, there’ll be far more highs than lows before the season is out. And if that second half display can become the norm, the campaign will almost certainly stretch beyond 46 games, as it did last season.
For Beale, it was a day that was both exciting and incredibly emotional; a day where we saw the very best of Sunderland on and off the pitch.
