Former Sunderland striker Dwight Yorke has suggested it is ‘unfair’ that Michael Beale got the Sunderland job when he’s trying to get into management and can’t catch a break.
Former QPR and Rangers manager Beale moved into the manager’s office at the Stadium of Light last month, replacing Tony Mowbray. The 43-year-old was dismissed by the Ibrox giants in October and walked into Sunderland just two months later.
Yorke, who also appeared for Aston Villa and Manchester United, among others, was surprised to see Beale in the hot seat so close to a perceived failure north of the border.
“Was I surprised at Michael Beale’s appointment? Well, people are given chances from failed opportunities, and it baffles me,” he told Footy Accumulators.
“He was an assistant at Villa, did OK. Did OK at QPR, then went to Rangers and got sacked, and now he’s at Sunderland. Here we are in the space of a year, and there’s someone like him in three or four jobs! You just trying to scratch your head at how that works and based on what results.
“He seems like a decent bloke, I don’t know him, but I’ve listened to him on TV, but ultimately, you need to be judged on results, right? And if I were to judge on his results, it’s not really overly impressive, but he’s got another high-profile job at Sunderland.”
Yorke, who was interviewed for the Sutton United job in 2019, feels it is unfair that he cannot get a job in management whilst Beale walks into another high-profile job.
“It’s unfair when someone like me is looking to seek an opportunity into football, and you’re not getting the rub of the green in that sense.
“He’s been given another opportunity to prove himself, so we will just have to wait and see. I just find it crazy that he’s got into the situation of going to QPR, Rangers, and then Sunderland and a bit like Wayne Rooney; these people seem to be getting all of these chances, and I don’t get how it works.”
Beale didn’t have a playing career, aside from serving an apprenticeship at Charlton, but Yorke had a long, trophy-laded stint as a player. He came through the ranks at Aston Villa, making his name in the Midlands before a £12.6 million move to Manchester United in 1998.
Whilst with United, he won three Premier League titles, as well as the Champions League. He netted 65 goals in 152 appearances before a £2m move to Blackburn Rovers. He also appeared for Birmingham and Sydney FC before finishing his career with Sunderland.
Despite a desire to get into management, the former Trinidad and Tobago international has only coached one side – Macarthur FC, where he won the 2022 Australia Cup. He left there by mutual consent in January to pursue other opportunities.
Writer’s View
Michael Beale is being dealt a rough hand here by Yorke. His time at QPR was a success; he had a 40.91% win rate and even turned down Premier League side Wolves to remain at Loftus Road. When one of the biggest clubs in the UK came knocking, he jumped ship, but they called on merit.
His win rate at Rangers was 72.1%, but three early defeats this season prompted them to move him on. It’s hard to ‘fail’ in Scotland – he took them to second behind Celtic, but is that success? It’s hard to tell.
Still, his move to Sunderland makes perfect sense, and at 43, he is still young enough to make an impact on the managerial scene.
Dwight Yorke has been an assistant at Trinidad and Tobago but hasn’t had any significant coaching experience in the 14 years since he retired from playing. Football is going down a different route, with lots of coaches who didn’t have significant playing careers but who have worked consistently over the last decade.
Sadly, Yorke is 52 now and may find it difficult to get a high-profile job in the UK.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The Real EFL, Gary is a passionate Lincoln City fan with extensive content creation across the Championship and EFL. He also shares expert football betting tips.
