Kristjaan Speakman has praised the job Tony Mowbray has done at Sunderland - while sidestepping the recent speculation over the head coach's future. Mowbray took over at the end of August and has been widely lauded for leading the newly-promoted Black Cats to a top six finish and a play-off spot in their first season back in the Championship, and for the brand of attacking football his young team has played, with his achievements reflected in the high regard in which he is held by fans.
Yet that has not prevented rumours emerging in recent weeks that the club is looking to replace the 59-year-old, despite the fact that he still has a year left on his contract, with a number of names linked with the role including Italian coach Francesco Farioli, Austrian Gerhard Struber, and Matthias Jaissle. Sporting director Speakman gave an end-of-season interview to the club's own media channel this week and reflected on the 2022-23 season, but he was not asked specifically about Mowbray's position.
"With Tony, head coach, coaching staff and support staff, they've gone about their business in a really professional manner," Speakman told the club's Youtube channel. "They've soaked up the adversity and issues that naturally crop up in a season.
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"That's been communicated down to the players who have been first class in their approach. We've probably had some adversity you don't want and been unlucky at times but nobody has felt sorry for themselves and that attitude to try and achieve regardless of circumstances means we exceed expectations.
"Ultimately it's a really good platform to go on and try to achieve more. Top teams and business perform well under adversity and pressure.
"We're always going to come under scrutiny because we're such a big football club and it means so much to so many people. Everyone has embraced that."
Sunderland won promotion from League One via the play-offs 12 months ago after four years in the third tier and their first season back in the Championship was expected to be a case of re-establishing themselves at that level. But the Black Cats far exceeded those expectations despite a lengthy injury list - the 'adversity' Speakman was referrring to - as they reached the play-off semi-finals before losing over two legs to Luton Town, which meant missing out on today's final at Wembley.
Speakman said: "We're really really pleased with where the club has got to, the position we got to, the performance of the players and staff. The reflection is still going on.
"It's still quite raw to get so close to a second successive Wembley final but we're super-happy with where we got to and we're really, really geared up to build on it next year. Most of all it's representative of the club.
"The club is moving along at such an incredible pace at the minute on and off the pitch. That's really pleasing and it bodes well for the future."
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