Michael Beale outlines short-term Sunderland ambition and makes Tony Mowbray pledge

Michael Beale believes that his Sunderland side are capable of pushing for the play-offs and insists that he will not overhaul Tony Mowbray's attacking style of play.

Beale says he is inheriting excellent foundations from which to build and that's it about making small tweaks that can improve the side further, adding that there won't be 'radical changes' in the short term. Beale takes charge of his first game when Coventry City visit the Stadium of Light this weekend, before a testing trip to Hull City on Boxing Day.

Beale believes it is his job to keep the team in top-six contention so they can push on at the end of the campaign and replicate what they achieved last season - and then hopefully better it.

“The club’s got a vision and processes I really believe in to get to where we all want to go, which is back to the Premier League," he said.

"That’s what the fans want, and the fans drive the club in terms of expectations. That’s really important. Every single player in our dressing room wants to go to the Premier League. It’s a young dressing room, and that’s where we think the potential of our players is.

“Now, the front two have set a really fast pace haven’t they in terms of where they’re going, but we’re one of a group of teams who believe we can go and get into the play-offs. With where we’ve started the season and where we are now, albeit that we’ve had a bump in the road at the weekend, we should be optimistic and demand that.

“Our fans should demand that, and we should demand that internally. We have to demand those standards. We want to set ourselves up so that, after the March international break, we’re in a position to push and go there.

“Last season, playing with a slightly different style and a slightly different make-up of the group – maybe a slightly older group – we managed to get there. So, why wouldn’t we dream and push and go for that again?”

Beale was asked if Mowbray's popularity increased the pressure to hit the ground running, but said he saw taking charge of a side in a good place as a positive.

"Whoever is in charge of Sunderland is expected to win games of football," Beale said.

"I would flip it and say that the good work Tony has done and the foundations he has left means that I come in with it in a good place. The fact that we've kept the staff in place is a positive as well.

"I don't know Tony too well personally but I remember many years ago we sent Ryan Kent on loan to Coventry City, where he had Maddison, Adam Armstrong etc. He's always had teams that I've enjoyed watching. His team play with width and lots of freedom, that's what the fans here at Sunderland have obviously enjoyed. We're going to continue that, and hopefully add one or two extra bits on top of that. There's no doubt that Tony is a very good manager and Mark Venus alongside them, I've got a lot of respect for them both. I really like the freedom the team has, that's how I see football as well. A lot of interchanging and freedom in the final third, we have to be just as good out of possession in this league, that's fair to say. The style won't change, it will be just one or two elements added.

"There's players here who want to make me get out of bed and come to work, it's exciting."