Michael Beale’s first game as Sunderland head coach ended in disappointment as his side were beaten 3-0 by Coventry at the Stadium of Light.
Beale was confirmed as Tony Mowbray’s successor on Monday, but his maiden outing in charge of his new club did not go to plan as Coventry swept to an emphatic success.
Tatsuhiro Sakamoto opened the scoring for Mark Robins’ side in first-half stoppage time, with Callum O’Hare and Kasey Palmer also finding the net in the second half.
Coventry’s win means they have now lost just one of their last eight matches, and while the Sky Blues might have started the season slowly after losing both Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer, they look increasingly well set for another tilt at the play-offs.
That will also be Sunderland’s ambition, although Beale’s side will have to improve markedly if the former Rangers and QPR boss is to build on Mowbray’s good work over the course of the last 15 months.
Beale made one change for his first game in charge, restoring Jobe Bellingham to the starting line-up. The teenager had a famous face watching him from the stands, with his brother, Jude, observing from the directors’ box after returning to England at the start of Real Madrid’s winter break.
Jobe was stationed as an attacking midfielder, with Abdoullah Ba playing ahead of him as a false number nine, and the latter should have opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
Coventry goalkeeper Brad Collins could only parry Jack Clarke’s shot from just outside the area, with the ball rebounding invitingly for Ba, who was unmarked 10 yards out. The 20-year-old looked certain to score, but instead skied a poor effort over the crossbar.
Sunderland were on top at that stage, but the hosts were indebted to their goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson, for a fine double save from Haji Wright and O’Hare that kept the scoresheet blank midway through the first half.
However, the Sunderland goalkeeper was beaten as Coventry took the lead just before the break. O’Hare delivered a low cross after Luke O’Nien’s error enabled him to break down the left-hand side, and while Sakamoto’s initial shot was saved at the back post, the ball rebounded back off the Japanese midfielder and into the net.
Clarke twice went close to claiming an equaliser at the start of the second half, firing in shots that were saved by Collins, and Bellingham also saw an effort blocked close to the goalline as Sunderland tried to crank up the pressure.
Coventry remained a significant threat on the break though, and the visitors doubled their lead in the 67th minute. Wright pulled the ball back from close to the byline, and O’Hare curled a clinical finish into the far corner.
The second goal was the cue for a section of the Stadium of Light support to begin chanting Mowbray’s name, and the singing became louder when Coventry added a third goal three minutes later.
Patterson failed to hold on to a low cross from the left, and substitute Palmer was left with the simple task of rolling home from close range.
Postecoglou hails 'fantastic' youngster Moore after late Vissel Kobe winner
Ange Postecoglou saluted "fantastic" Mikey Moore, after the teenager struck a late winner in Tottenham's J-League World Challenge clash with Vissel Kobe.
The 16-year-old was the hero with his 88th-minute strike sealing a 3-2 victory at the Japan National Stadium in what was Spurs' first match in their preseason tour of the Far East.
Academy graduate Moore became Tottenham's youngest Premier League player when, aged 16 years and 277 days, he made his senior debut against Manchester City in the penultimate game of last season.
And Postecoglou insists the England youth international, who has scored 10 goals in 12 appearances at under-17 level, is deserving of his first-team opportunities.
"Mikey has been fantastic since we brought him in," he told reporters during his post-match press conference. "He's earned his spot on the roster at the moment; he did at the end of last year.
"He got a run with the first team because we could see in training that he was handling himself really well, and that's followed through into pre-season training.
"He's been good in all the games; he probably should have had three tonight, but he did take his goal well by being in the right areas.
"All we can do is keep allowing him to develop. We have to remember that, last year, he had some injuries, and he is only 16.
"I think the future with a lot of our young guys looks pretty promising, but it's our responsibility to make sure they realise their potential and continue to work hard at their game."
Spurs made it three wins from three during preseason, following their 5-1 and 2-0 victories over Hearts and Queens Park Rangers respectively.
"I thought it was a good game," Postecoglou added. "The conditions did make it difficult for both teams, and we've had a hard week of training.
"Credit to the boys. I thought we played some decent football, and they put in as much effort as they humanly could out there.
"You want to provide some sort of entertainment for the supporters who made a great turnout tonight, not just Spurs supporters, but football supporters in general. It's always nice to give back in that way and, overall, I was pleased."
Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli
Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday.
Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison.
Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side.
The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season.
“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club.
"This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.
“I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.
“I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."
The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.
Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third.
"Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche.
"He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."
Maguire labels England criticism 'ridiculous' following Euro 2024 display
Harry Maguire has defended his England team-mates after their performance at Euro 2024, labelling the criticism as "a bit ridiculous".
England reached back-to-back European Championship finals but suffered the same outcome in Berlin as they did at Wembley three years ago.
The defeat against Spain saw Gareth Southgate become the first head coach in the history of the tournament to end up on the losing side in two finals.
Southgate called time on his eight-year tenure in charge of the Three Lions two days after the tournament ended, winning 59.8% of his 102 games in charge.
Despite this, underwhelming performances in Germany saw cups thrown towards the former England head coach as supporters jeered the players.
Southgate came under fire for his defensive approach, though only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals than his 213.
However, Maguire has come to the defence of his team-mates.
“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.
“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”
Under Southgate's stewardship, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one).
Maguire played 63 times during Southgate's time in charge, a total only bettered by Harry Kane (81), Kyle Walker (70), Jordan Pickford and John Stones (both 68).
Maguire was forced to miss the tournament having picked up an injury in May, forcing him to miss Manchester United's FA Cup success against Manchester City.
Euro 2024 was the first major tournament he has missed during his international career, having become a mainstay in central defence alongside Stones.
Maguire's 17 appearances at major tournaments saw him keep seven clean sheets, but he insisted that missing out on Euro 2024 was difficult for him to comprehend.
"To miss out was tough," said Maguire.
“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country."
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