In George Orwell’s classic novel, 1984, there is a language called Doublespeak. Here’s its definition. “Doublespeak is language that deliberately obscures, disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words.”
The following Speakman quote “Ultimately the club is obsessed with progression and improving, and we felt to meet that we had to make a change.” This was delivered to us following Tony Mowbray's sacking and is now ringing very hollow following last night's defeat to Hull.
Certainly, my immediate reaction was what? Who could have asked more of Mowbray given the constraints placed upon him by Speakman and KLD. In fact, having re-read Speakman's rationale for the sacking of Tony Mowbray and the appointment of Michael Beale, I have to confess the wording Speakman uses is not a language that I speak at all. I have tried to crack the code to what our Sporting Director's lingua franca is when he maps out the future for this club, but I always run into difficulties over translation.
KLD also speaks the same language and the devoted supporters of our club deserve to understand in exact terms the musings of those at the top. For sure I do not think I am alone in wondering why we seem to have shot ourselves in the foot in such a conscious and dramatic way. Like so many supporters, indeed I would say a vast majority, it still perplexes me as to why Tony Mowbray was sacked and Michael Beale was appointed.
For a good period after Mowbray departed, we were be led to believe that a European manager of proven ability at a high level was on his way to the SOL. One name in particular was being repeatedly touted: Will Still. Then it was speculated that Swede, Jimmy Thelin, had been interviewed by Zoom. If he had, he must have been as astonished as the population of Sunderland when Michael Beale was appointed, who the club then claimed was their first choice!
Beale was a manager/coach that no one considered as being worthy of the job given his totally underwhelming CV, but according to Speakman, Beale "Epitomised the qualities the club were looking for."
To be honest the club simply has not felt the same since Mowbray left and Speakman totally underestimated the emotional bond between Mowbray and the players, the supporters and indeed the city.
I noticed Beale is expressing his interest in trying to attract Amad Diallo from Manchester United for another loan spell, but did that exciting player not specifically state that returning to Sunderland on loan would be totally dependent on Mowbray's presence, such was the bond between him and the young squad?
So as our season seems to be unravelling my blog could be viewed as a pointless bout of crying over spilt milk and to be fair a month in charge of a new club for a manager is not long. Maybe we will see an experienced striker join the club this month. Maybe we will climb back into the playoff places and I will eat my bowl of humble pie.
Hopefully things improve because right now we are all down in the dumps…
