Sunderland and Michael Beale parted company on Monday and in doing so it made him one of the Championship’s shortest-serving managers. Beale lasted just two months and 12 games in the dugout, with seven defeats seeing the Black Cats drop from seventh to 10th in the league during that time.
Having joined Sunderland in December, following the departure of fan-favourite Tony Mowbray, Beale faced an uphill battle winning over supporters and was unable to do so. Back-to-back defeats against relegation candidates Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City – the latter managed by Mowbray – was the final straw.
Beale is not the quickest manager to lose his job, however. In fact there have been some incredibly short spells in respective dugouts and the Echo has taken a look at a few below.
In a bid to cut costs at Elland Road, eccentric owner Massimo Cellino decided to appoint Dave Hockaday as Leeds head coach in 2014, following Brian McDermott’s exit. Hockaday’s only previous managerial job was at Forest Green Rovers, who he relegated to the Conference Premier League. Hockaday was in charge for just six games at Leeds, losing four before being sacked on August 29 – 70 days after his appointment.
Chris Wilder (Watford) – 63 days
Wilder was appointed as Watford boss on March 7, 2023, replacing Slaven Bilic who was sacked by Watford’s trigger-happy owners, the Pozzo family. By April, the club had to release a statement rubbishing speculation regarding their manager’s future and insisting he would remain at the club until the end of the season. Three wins in 11 matches eventually saw him sacked in May.
Michael Beale (Sunderland) – 63 days
An ill-fated appointment from the off, Beale returned to the Championship after being sacked by Rangers earlier this season. As Mowbray’s successor, he faced an uphill battle and defeat at home to Coventry City in his first game did little to allay fears.
