Tony Mowbray delivers resentment verdict on Sunderland and fans ahead of West Brom clash
The former Sunderland head coach was asked about the Black Cats ahead of this weekend’s game with West Brom
Tony Mowbray has stated he holds “no resentment” towards Sunderland – and added he hopes to meet his former club in the play-offs.
The former Middlesbrough, Celtic and West Brom manager took over from Alex Neil during the club’s first season back in the Championship and masterminded Sunderland’s top-six finish and play-off campaign with Mowbray’s Premier League dream ended by eventual promotion-winners Luton Town in the semi-final.
Despite rumours suggesting Sunderland were looking at other managerial options the following summer, Mowbray remained at the Academy of Light and took the team into the new season. However, after 15 months in charge, Mowbray was sacked, with the Black Cats ninth in the Championship.
Mowbray would then take over at Birmingham City before having to leave his role after receiving a bowel cancer diagnosis. Since recovering from the illness, the 61-year-old has since taken over at former club West Brom, who are pushing to cement their spot in the play-offs this season and face Sunderland at the Hawthorns this Saturday.
“I always want to win for the team I am at. I like Sunderland as a football club. I like the people. You have to respect that Sunderland, with its amazing stadium and fanbase, is an amazing football club,” Mowbray said ahead of the game against the Black Cats to BirminghamLive.
“I really enjoyed it. We won lots of games. We developed lots of young players. It was and maybe still is the youngest team in the league for all my period there. We had a very young team but performed to good levels and won lots of games and made it exciting for the fans, I think. The current manager is doing just that as well.
“I wish them well but not better than us. Hopefully, there is a scenario where we could see them in the play offs. It would be two amazing games. I think both teams would be a good addition to the Premier League but as would Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley as well.
“There is no resentment from me. I have only got good things to say about the supporters and the amazing club that it is and the facilities it’s got. For me it’s an honour to have Sunderland AFC on my CV along with some other pretty amazing successful managers in the history.
“They have to get it right as every club has to get recruitment right and it has to pick the right manager to guide the ship but it is a huge football club and well worthy of playing in the Premier League with the numbers and the atmosphere it can create. But you have to earn that.”
What else has Tony Mowbray said about Sunderland recently?
During an interview with Nick Barnes, which aired on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Total Sport show on Monday, November 18, Mowbray strongly suggested that he believed the end at Sunderland came for him because of team selection differences with owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.
