Grayson spoke out about Tony Mowbray, Beale and the chances of the Black Cats securing a top-six finish.
As it stands, the Black Cats are set to miss out on the top six, with the club currently sitting in 10th position following their midweek loss against Huddersfield Town.
They may have only lost 1-0, but it was a considerable blow to Michael Beale’s side, considering this would have been seen as a winnable game by the Wearside club’s fanbase.
The game at the John Smith’s Stadium was a real opportunity to build on a 3-1 win against Plymouth Argyle last weekend, but it was an opportunity they missed and they will now be hoping to regain some momentum with a win at Birmingham City tomorrow afternoon.
Where are Sunderland in the Championship table?
Having managed to secure a top-six finish at the end of last term, despite the fact they had a shortage of striker options and had only been promoted from League One at the end of the previous season, the aim this term has to be to seal another play-off finish.
But they face a real challenge in their quest to achieve this aim, not because they currently sit in 10th place, but because of the strength of the division.
Simon Grayson on Sunderland: “Can definitely make the play-offs”
Grayson is one man who believes the Black Cats are in the mix of teams that can secure a play-off spot at the end of this term, but also highlighted the disconnect between head coach Beale and the supporters.
He said: “It was a shock (when Mowbray was sacked and replaced by Beale), I thought Tony was doing a really good job. There had been talk since the summer that he could be replaced and I think that pressure was always hanging over him which I found very strange.
“Since he (Michael Beale) has come in, they’ve been a bit too inconsistent. There doesn’t seem to be a connection between Michael and the fanbase at this moment in time but, by winning games, that can change that and bring them together.
“Sunderland are, like a lot of teams, within a group that can definitely make the play-offs and get that golden ticket to the Premier League. That Championship table looks very tight across the board, so it will be an interesting end to the season for a lot of teams.”
Simon Grayson’s Sunderland comments are on the money
The departure of Mowbray was a bit of a surprise and in hindsight, you could say that the Black Cats’ board were looking to replace him at some point.
Results may not have been brilliant during the latter stages of his time at the Stadium of Light, but most managers probably would have got more time to turn things around than the 60-year-old did.
The disconnect between current head coach Beale and the fans is also fair to point out.
It’s clear on social media that some fans have taken a bit of a dislike to Beale, with some of the Black Cats’ recent results not helping the two parties to form a relationship.
Despite this, the club are still in the mix for the play-offs and there’s still a chance they could finish in the top six.
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