Michael Beale 'undermined' at Rangers as second choice Sunderland boss claims take flight

Michael Beale's Rangers recruitment has been deemed the catalyst for his downfall at Ibrox - as he faces a brutal task of turning things around at Sunderland amid claims he was second choice and has become "a lightning rod for the growing mood of discontent."

The Londoner has taken over from Tony Mowbray at the Stadium of Light but already, Black Cats fans are turning unconvinced over his credentials as gaffer. Beale was a highly-respected coach during his time at Rangers working with Steven Gerrard and impressed when taking his first senior managerial role at QPR.

He turned down a Premier League shot at Wolves before returning to Glasgow as the gaffer in 2022. But he lasted less than a year and was axed in September, with the Telegraph now claiming "it was his poor recruitment record that undermined him at Rangers." It is also claimed that "he has already become a lightning rod for the growing mood of discontent." Not only that, but it is stated in the claims that Reims boss Will Still was the number one Sunderland option.

His unique backstory - starting out as a youth coach at Preston before becoming a video analyst at Sint-Truiden 10 years ago before making himself one of the game's top young managers by 30 - has caught attention. The Black Cats wanted to bring him into UK football but they didn't want to pay the compensation for their Mowbray replacement, leaving Beale as "an unpopular choice to replace a popular manager." He is also deemed their "second option."

His reign started in poor fashion during a 3-0 defeat to Coventry, where supporters launched protests against the board for how they were dealing with tickets for an upcoming derby with Newcastle, which was lost by the same scoreline earlier this month. He