Here's the full press conference transcript from Michael Beale's unveiling as Sunderland head coach, alongside sporting director Kristjaan Speakman...
Chelsea, Liverpool, Sao Paulo, Rangers, Aston Villa, huge names, huge clubs and you're at another one here aren't you?
MB: "Yeah, what a fantastic opportunity for me to join this club at this moment. With this type of squad, the alignment within the club, it's hugely exciting. There's a lot of work to do for sure, but going through the talks I became more excited as we went on because there was a lot of common ground and I'm delighted to be here. What I've seen from the first two days, and they've been a really busy two days, what I've seen already is enough for me to realise this is a fantastic opportunity for me for sure.
A busy next ten days, four games starting on Saturday. It's going to be a hectic schedule for you and the players?
MB: "Yeah it is and it's a great opportunity for the players to show me as a new head coach the level. The team has been in a good place and I think Mike Dodds, Michael Proctor and Ali [Alessandro Barcherini] have done a really good job last week. It showed us everything the Championship can be. We had two fantastic results at home and went away to Bristol City and had a disappointment. It shows what this league can do. The two teams we've got coming up now in Coventry and Hull are teams that have similar ambitions and both managers do an excellent job. That's the league it's really competitive and as you say it's a hectic period but we've got a young group that love playing so I'm looking forward to the games immensely.
Is this the first opportunity you've had since leaving Rangers or were you waiting on an opportunity like this?
MB: "Yeah, it's the first opportunity that really interested me. It's the first one where you sit in the room and speak, you're hearing the way the club speaks and it's really exciting. It's a fantastic opportunity and it comes off the back of two periods I had at Rangers that were some of the best moments I've had in my football career to date. It's a club that's very close to my heart. It's been a little bit less than 12 weeks to be honest. The start of October but I'd like to say congratulations to Philippe Clement as well and the Rangers team because that was a real proud moment watching those guys and I'm delighted for them winning the cup at the weekend."
How did it affect you the way you left the club, it started so well but the last few weeks didn't go as you would have like. How do you feel about that?
MB: "I had a lot of people around me within the club that I knew very well. When the team is maybe underperforming or has one or two difficult results, the week before we got through to a semi-final and beat Real Betis. Our record was still good but we had a difficult day and obviously I came out of the club. It's not nice, it's the first time in my career that I've been out of work that hasn't been my choice so that was a nice feeling. I've learnt a lot from that experience that I had there. I look back at my time there as a club I spent four-and-a-half years, five years, over 300 games, I was part of a team that won the league invincible and that group of players, both the existing ones and new ones, I was hugely happy for all of them. Delighted for the whole football club and I wish them well moving forward."
You mentioned you were going to do some travelling, Brazil, Japan, the US, did you manage to do that?
MB: "I've done a lot. It's been a really good time for me if I'm honest. A lot of time for reflection. I went across to see some friends in Brazil, caught a couple games in Portugal, France and Belgium as well. I took time to go to Lapland with the children but I'm ready. What an opportunity the last few days. I've been so energized coming into the building. Learning more about the club and the people here. For me coming in as the head coach on my own, I've really been energized by the work that is already going on so I want to praise also Tony [Mowbray] before. I think Tony did a good job and for whatever reason I'm sat in that seat now, I want to take that forward and I'm excited by the group of players in front of me.
Kristjaan he talks very well, what have you made of him, what have you seen in him to give him this opportunity?
KS: "You have an understanding about the coaches on the circuit in England and mine and Michael's path had crossed a few times. We try to make sure we have a really good understanding about the coaches that are out there, doing well, doing different things, coaches that are out performing. Everything we've seen in the last two days, everything we thought we'd be getting from Michael in terms of an excellent on the field coach, his preparation, his thought processes behind the training and what the boys are doing, it's some of the best work I've seen and we're really pleased to have him here."
Was there a lot of interest in the job?
KS: "Look, Sunderland Football Club is Sunderland Football Club. It's one of the biggest clubs in the country and it'll attract worldwide attention whether it's on the field or off the field. From out perspective, when we made that tough decision, we're going into that having a clear understanding around what our list looks like. Naturally, you're going to get bombarded from perspective candidates. What we have got is a really clear criteria of what we're looking for and a clear process. We just try to apply that criteria and process and work through what we think is a really tough interview process. Try to ensure at the end of it we get the right person. From our perspective the speculation and everything that goes on, you have to work through that noise and understand that this is such a big football club. For us, we have to stay laser focussed on making sure we get the right outcome and we feel that we've got the right outcome."
Michael has lots of contacts worldwide, how will it work despite those contacts moving forward at the club in terms of recruitment?
KS: "The same as it's always worked. We've got really clear process about how we work and what we always try and do - they're not rigid and fixed. I think in fairness every coach that I've worked with at this football club has added a different layer or different dimension. While that coach might still not be with us from two years ago, there'll still be some evidence of their work and where they've tried to help us evolve. I think that's what good organisations and businesses do. I think there's speculation sometimes, my understanding around the involvement of the coach and the selection process and the selection process of recruitment, our coaches are fundamentally at the heart of decision making for players coming into the group and that will continue to be the case. Naturally, Michael will look at it through a slightly different lens than Tony, Tony will look at it through a different lens to Alex because they're all different people. We feel that when you get a close alignment in what you're looking for and how you're going about the team structure and team identity, you want to really be chewing the fat over the detail that hopefully produces the right outcome in terms of the players you sign."
You mentioned Tony Mowbray there, Michael did as well, what do you say to supporters who didn't want to see him go?
KS: "Tony is such a top gentleman. I've had a couple of conversations post having that difficult conversation with him. He was really complimentary about lots of things that we're doing. Tony is like any top coach, they've got their views and their perspective if you like, we're always open to having discussions. I think ultimately for supporters they want to have a winning team. The difficulty is change. The difficulty internally and externally because you get attached, familiarisation and comfort because this is the person that's doing this job and this is the direction of travel. We understand how difficult those decisions are, but for us they're always done around staying aligned to what we're trying to do and what we're trying to achieve. Ultimately the best interests of the football club.
Michael in terms of short-term aims, what are your aims for this season, is it to try and get Sunderland promoted this year or are you more relaxed?
MB: "The club has got a vision and a process that I really believe in. A way of working to get us back to where we want to go, which is the Premier League. It's what the fans want and they drive the club in terms of expectations as well. That's really important. That's every single player in our dressing room if they haven't played in the Premier League, that's where they want to go. It's a young dressing room. That's where we think the potential of some of our players is. Now, the front two have set a really fast pace in terms of where they're going [Leicester City and Ipswich Town] and we're one of a group of teams, like the two that we're playing next in Coventry and Hull, that we believe we can go and get in the play-offs. Where we've started the season, where we are now, as I say we had a bump in the road at the weekend, but we should be optimistic. We should demand that and our fans should demand that, we should demand that inside and we want the standards to be setting ourself up after the March international break, to be in a position to push and go there. Last season, playing in a slightly different style with a slightly different make-up of the group, maybe slightly older, we managed to get there. Why wouldn't we dream and push and go for that. But, there's a lot of work to be done between that and a lot of games to play."
A lot of talk in your interview with the club about the fit, how important was that and how comfortable are you with the club you're walking into?
MB: "You're right. This was a huge decision for me. In the last few weeks I've had a lot of time to reflect with people around me and family of where I'm going with my career and what I need. When the Sunderland job became available it was a really good opportunity to sit down and understand more. I had my understanding of the model outside, but the model is about development and having an elite way of training and playing. It's about recruiting players that are on the up rather than players that are at their full potential and the excitement of working with that and the potential to fulfil it, it's a group of players that have got really high ambition and they've not fulfilled it yet and I'm completely aligned with that. That's where I am as a coach as well. I need to establish myself firmly as a coach. I've been an assistant for a number of years, in youth development, but an elite coach, it's time for me to fulfil my potential here at Sunderland. That's how I see the squad and that's how I see the alignment as well. All the processes are nowhere near as complex as people would assume. Everything I've heard and listened to, is what I believe in. That's why I was so keen. The interview process was lengthy in terms of the amount of discussions we had, we delved in and then went back over, to make sure there was real clarity on all sides and I'm delighted to be sat here.
Kristjaan, this is the guy you felt was the best fit for what you want to do?
KS: "Naturally, when you're Sunderland football club you have a range of options, whether that's the players market or the coaches market. For us, we're trying to find the best fit. It's not about finding people who can do the job, there's people out there who can do the job, it's whether they can do the job as well and focus on the areas that we need to focus on. That's where we felt Michael was the outstanding candidate. You've just heard him articulate with great depth and understanding about what we're trying to do. In all these types of scenarios, we're also looking to get the new lens of a new coach to help move us forward. Sometimes there's nothing better than a fresh set of eyes looking at the way we do our work. The reason we're in the strong position we're in today is because we've had a growth mindset and we've been open minded. I think when you listen to Michael speak, he talks about learning, about development, he talks about curiosity and looking at different sports in different countries and the more that we can do that the faster we'll be able to move along in our progress.
Michael, the new manager or head coach has to develop a rapport with fans, how do you go about that?
MB: "I think being transparent and honest in the way that we're working. Obviously the way the team plays on the pitch has got to be a reflection of the fans and the fans' expectations. I think it's a relationship that's built over time and I'm not going to say anything right now that's going to win everybody over. I'm aware that I've never worked in this part of the country before as well and I'm not from this part of the country but I'll assure the fans, not just me but everyone involved is doing everything they can to make a winning Sunderland team. I think in the past few months we've seen pleasing progress on the pitch and it's about taking that to the next level. I think over time, the quality of my work will be the judgement of the fans on me.
What do you actually do on your first week on the job?
MB: "This is certainly an interesting week because it's the festive week as well. There's lots of extra activities in and around the club. There was the Christmas lunch yesterday and I got to meet the extended staff from the other departments in the club. At a Christmas function with the club last night so it's been a whirlwind meeting the players, meeting the staff, coming on my own. The people have been fantastic with me but that was never in doubt anyway. People are hugely proud of their club in this part of the country so I'm learning all the time. I've listened a lot to the staff in house about their views because it's fair to say, I thought the interim staff did an impressive job in the short period they were in. It's listening to both Michael's and Ali in terms of what's been happening within and learning how each department works. We've had two training sessions as well but I'm really looking forward to the game at the weekend. I think it's a difficult game, they got to the play-off final last year and will have the same ambition as us. That's a fantastic way to end my first week here with that game at home."
You said yesterday that you got pulled in different directions at Rangers, what went wrong?
MB: "Small margins. I went in and the team was nine points behind Celtic at the time I went in there. So it was always going to be difficult to claw that back and by the end of the season we weren't able to do that. We lost the cup final which was disappointing. There was a lot of change, because our sporting director left and Ross Wilson was hugely influential in me going back. Him leaving changed the goalposts, but I want to look forward. The biggest message I've got to Rangers fans and everybody there, I spent five-years there and it was wonderful times, both in domestic and European football and I've got nothing but admiration for that club, the fans and what they gave me. I tried to give them everything back and in football, sometimes it's fine margins that determine. So to see that team settled now under Philippe Clement and win the cup final at the weekend, within that there was players I signed for Rangers that have gone on to win the league and domestic cup and they've gone on to complete their set, within that there was players that joined us recently and won, there's no need for me to talk about the policies of the club. I'd like to just draw a line under it by saying thank you to the fans for the support they gave me in my time there and that opportunity was fantastic. I feel like I've arrived at a gigantic club and I feel that already. I'm really excited about this challenge already. From my Rangers time, I would say it's the happiest time I've had in football and naturally on the way out it doesn't taste as nice."
Does Tony Mowbray's departure put you under any extra pressure to hit the ground running given fans were sad to see him go?
MB: "I think whoever is the manager of Sunderland Football Club, the fans would expect us to win games of football. That doesn't matter who sits in this seat. I'd actually flip that and say the good work that Tony has done, the foundations he's left me are in a good place. I've arrived here in a good place and the fact that we've kept the backroom staff here is a positive as well. Again, Tony, I don't know him too well personally, we've met on a couple of occasions, but we met a couple of years ago, we had a boy Ryan Kent go on loan to his Coventry team, where they had James Maddison, Joe Cole and one or two others - Adam Armstrong. I've always enjoyed watching Tony's teams play. They play with width and lots of freedom. That's what our fans at Sunderland have enjoyed. We're going to continue that and hopefully add one or two extra bits on top in terms of my personality being different. There's no doubt that Tony is a very good manager, Mark Venus alongside him and I have great respect for both men."
Kristjaan, is Sunderland in a stronger position now to push for promotion than when Tony Mowbray is here?
KS: "Well we believe so. Look, on pitch results will always be the barometer by which people make their judgement. I've always said whenever we've spoken about the club in terms of football operations, we seen on the pitch on Saturday a small portion of what goes on. There's lots of training, development and evolution behind the scenes and we're going to continue to keep driving that forward and that was one of the reasons we chose Michael for the job because we think he can enhance that. We feel like we're in a strong position, but ultimately we have to keep progressing with our on the pitch results and they're what people will think about how well the club is doing."
What can supporters expect from your style of play?
MB: "I really like the freedom the team has got already. That's how I see football as well, a lot of interchanging in the final third. We have to be just as good out of possession in this league, just as good out of possession as we are in it. We've got lots of interesting types of players, the style of football wont change, there'll just be one or two elements added into it. There are a lot of players here that make me want to get out of bed in the morning and come to work. When you look at a squad of players, you've got to be excited about coming into the building, not only just for the club, of course coming to work for a fantastic club there's that excitement, but within that squad, who is exciting you in the squad? There's a number of players here that are pleasing on the eye, we want to continue that. But it's important we win inside both boxes. I think there's a statistic that we have the highest xG in the league or we did before the Bristol game. That's a good sign that there's been good coaching and it's important we continue that and win inside the boxes, not between them. I don't think there'll be any radical changes that anyone will be able to see, it's just me adding one or two changes to a team that's already in a good place."
What sort of legacy would you like here?
MB: "Not me, but I'd like to play part of a collective management of staff to help this group of players fulfil that potential. The utopia would be to do that together and go to the Premier League, that's what we're all aiming for. I'm sure there's one or two players in our squad that are liked by teams that are going to try and knock on our doors or ring our phones and we're going to ignore them in the short-term for sure. You get my point. The legacy of the work is how well the team does on the pitch and whether it fulfils its potential. Potential is a big word isn't it? So we need to move some of our young players towards fulfilling it and as a football club we've got an idea of where we want to go and a plan, it's important everyday we step towards that."
An easy decision to say yes?
MB: "100 per cent. There was no doubt in my mind, probably after the first meeting. It was a lengthy meeting. At that time the club were going through their due diligence and everything and by that time we'd had one or two more meetings. It was extensive, it was long into the day which was a good thing. There was a lot to talk about, to share and I was delighted. The energy to get started was huge."
Kristjaan, will funds be made available in January?
KS: "We certainly want to convert some of our dominance into more goals. I think if you look at the team Michael took at Rangers, talking about a high possession team and breaking teams apart, there are a lot of similarities in terms of more recent opponents that Michael has played against. From a coaching standpoint, he can come and sprinkle some ideas on how we can be more effective there. Certainly from a transfer window perspective, the club has always invested in the short, medium and long-term in improving the quality and we've been on with that piece of work since the transfer window closed and that will run alongside everything in the recent weeks."
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