Ex-QPR boss Mark Warburton thinks that whoever took over from Tony Mowbray at Sunderland would have had a tough task, amid Michael Beale being sacked.
Beale was shown the door at Sunderland just a little over two months after being appointed at the Stadium of Light as manager.
He lasted just 12 games at Sunderland and reportedly had misgivings over taking up the job when offered the role.
However, Warburton feels that it would have been tough for any manager to succeed if they were replacing Mowbray at the Stadium of Light.
He pointed out that Sunderland fans loved the veteran coach and following his sacking, any manager would have struggled to convince a very demanding fanbase.
The former Championship boss admitted that Beale never built a rapport with the fans and his dismissal could have been predicted from a mile after he lost the first few games and suffered a defeat against Newcastle United.
Warburton said on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast: “Tony Mowbray was well-respected by the fans.
“It’s a tough fanbase, a big club, big expectations and Tony went in there, played good football with a young squad and the fans took to Tony.
“I found it bizarre that he was sacked and as such, how the fans would have reacted to any manager going in?
“I think it was a tough gig for whoever it might have been and Michael went in there and lost his first couple of games, lose to Newcastle and I think he had a really rough ride there.
“That fanbase never took to Michael and it always puts you on the back foot.
“12 games is ludicrously short but you could almost see it coming.”
Mike Dodds has taken interim charge of Sunderland until the end of the Championship season.
Sunderland will use the time to consider who they want to appoint in the summer.
