'Going to need...': Michael Beale issues Sunderland message after bruising week ends in heavy defeat

Michael Beale says Sunderland have to stay united for their Championship play-off push after a bruising week ended with a heavy defeat against Newcastle United.

The build up to the derby was overshadowed by the decision to rebrand the Black Cats Bar in Newcastle United colours and with accompanying slogans, infuriating fans already frustrated with the club's ticketing arrangements for the game. That led to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus issuing a public apology on social media.

Though the financial chasm between the two sides was always likely to lead to a Newcastle United win, the manner of Sunderland's performance has done little to lift the mood on Wearside. The Black Cats struggled to make an attacking impression in the game until they were already 2-0 down in the second half, with the head coach admitting he and his players were left with regrets about how the contest had panned out.

Beale insisted that the team and the club are nevertheless in a 'really good place' heading into the crucial stretch of the league season.

“We’ve got 20 huge games now, and the focus has to be on what happens on the football pitch,” said Beale.

“Ultimately, I’m not in and around any of the other [off-field] stuff. I would have liked our players to have scored a goal for the fans, and stayed in the game for longer in the second half because I thought it would have been interesting, even given there was a gap in quality. If we’d stayed in the game at the start of the second half then anything could have happened, and I knew the fans would then have pushed the team onwards and upwards.

“We didn’t, but we’ve got 20 games to go in the Championship and we’re in a really good place. We’ve got as good a chance of anyone of getting into those play-off positions, but we’re going to need to be united as a football club for that to happen, for sure. We’ve got the biggest away following in the Championship, and we’ll be counting on that next week away at Ipswich.”

Ipswich Town currently sit second in the Championship, fifteen points ahead of the Black Cats.