After Mowbray's surprise sacking, I completed a poll in the Chronicle. The result of that poll was that most fans were shocked and saddened by Mowbray's departure, in sum they still held him in high regard. After all, just when has a manger been sacked who's standing with the fans was still high despite the recent run of poor results?
And as one stats fan said Sunderland this season are in a better position at this time of year than they were last season. Consider also that Mowbray almost took us into the Play Off finals without central defenders, which is why corners at Luton and in the last game of the season against Watford were our Achilles heel.
And of course, without a recognised striker.
There is lots of speculation as to why Mowbray was sacked. Post Millwall, Mowbray was explicitly saying the policy of blooding young players doesn't always work. The failure of any of our young strikers to score just one goal was clearly frustrating him, though he didn't blame them individually as such, just their inexperience. Indeed, could their very confidence be damaged longer term by placing so much pressure on them?
Sometimes Mowbray was criticised for not playing a settled team, but surely we must accept that there was pressure from above on him to rotate his young players to discover their potential. But does such switching and swapping (injuries apart) naturally undermine trying to create some kind of team consistency?
To be honest I still do not fully understand what Speakman's “model” is. He used the two key words, “strategy” and “ambition”. We know that the model or strategy certainly includes financial prudence but if that means Sunderland becoming a poor man's Brighton having to regularly sell promising players how can that be reconciled with ambition, though Brighton are wonderfully adept at this process.
Putting his injuries aside, was it ambitious to sell Ross Stewart? Hardly! So, whilst many of us feel badly about Mowbray's treatment, a very likeable manager who created a “warmth” and confidence throughout the club, the teams he selected and most of the supporters in general, the focus is on the next manager and how he performs in the short, not just medium or long term.
Kristjaan Speakman has certainly emerged as something of the pantomime villain to many fans at this seasonal time of year. If things go badly, nostalgia for Mowbray and criticism of the model or strategy and new manager will certainly grow, perhaps revealing that ambition will always be at the forefront of the fans' minds for such a big club as Sunderland.
