After leaving Sunderland and Millwall, where do...

Due to subpar performances in the second tier, Michael Beale and Joe Edwards have emerged as the two most recent casualties in Championship management this week.

Beale only started at Sunderland in mid-February, but after just two months and four victories, he was fired as Sunderland regressed from their Tony Mowbray era. Edwards, meantime, has Millwall just above the relegation zone, and the Lions, who were only inches away from clinching a play-off spot in the Premier League the previous season, might very well play in League One the following season.

Mick Beale’s decline following his time at Sunderland continues

After his disastrous tenure at Wearside, Beale may find it very difficult to resume his management career. After his tenure at Loftus Road, where he rallied the London club to play-off contention against all odds, and even signalled interest from Premier League team Wolves, which he rejected down to continue with the R’s, the former QPR manager was the talk of the town.

Soon after, Glasgow Rangers made an approach, and after serving as Steven Gerrard’s right-hand man at Ibrox, you could see why it was appealing. However, it did leave many with a bad taste in their mouths because Beale had made a vow to give QPR his all before leaving at the first chance after turning down the Molineux side.

After Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic ran wild, Beale’s respectable first season in Glasgow came to an abrupt end without a trophy, and after a dismal start to the Scottish Premiership season, he was fired in October. This meant that his standing had significantly dropped from where it had been a year before at QPR.

It was a chance for Beale to redeem himself and establish himself as a rising manager on Wearside, especially after his stint at Sunderland. However, concerns have been raised about his behaviour off the field, regardless of the outcome. It’s difficult to see where he could go from his handshake snub of Trai Hume in the 2-1 loss to Birmingham City, which was a really depressing moment, to his quick dismissal.

Moving overseas or slipping down a level is a possibility, you think. Despite his early success at QPR, there aren’t going to be many Championship clubs keeping an eye on Beale. His reputation has been damaged because he has struggled in major roles with Rangers and Sunderland recently.
Joe Edwards may need to resign following his dismissal from Millwall.

When Edwards took over the Lions in November, he was granted his first senior management position; yet, despite just four league victories in eighteen games, he hasn’t quite gotten off to the start he would have liked.

At just 37 years old, Edwards is still a very youthful manager. Having covered for Frank Lampard at Chelsea and Everton, he has a wealth of knowledge regarding game analysis. Edwards was also a member of the backroom crew when Chelsea won the Champions League in 2021.

Millwall’s last three Championship managers	Games	Wins	Win %
Joe Edwards	18	4	22.50
Gary Rowett	182	70	38.46
Neil Harris (first spell)	112	33	29.46

The former Chelsea player’s professional path as an assistant is somewhat similar to Beale’s, despite the fact that the Championship is a harsh division in which to establish your value. Management hasn’t been kind to the former Chelsea great.
Edwards ought to be given another opportunity to manage, even if it would probably require him to move down the levels in order to establish his value in the hotter.

Championship teams with the resources to hire Joe Edwards or Mick Beale
Few teams in the second tier will require a manager right now out of all of them. Obviously, Sunderland and Millwall are two of such teams, but it’s doubtful that either would try to sign Beale or Edwards.

Although Stoke City is terrified of Steven Schumacher, not many clubs will fire managers between now and the conclusion of the season, barring a catastrophic collapse.