Wear-Tyne derby: Michael Beale urges Sunderland to be 'best version' of themselves
It's the first time Sunderland face Newcastle since 2016
Last updated 6th Jan 2024
Sunderland head coach Michael Beale has called on his side to be the "best version" of themselves ahead of their derby clash against Newcastle.
The bitter north-east rivals face each other for the first time in nearly eight years when they go head-to-head in the third round of the FA Cup.
Saturday's meeting will be Beale's fifth game in charge of the club since taking the reins on December 18 and - despite losing his first game - he has since overseen two wins and a draw for the Black Cats to sit in the Championship play-off spots.
Sunderland have reached sixth in the second tier with a young squad bursting with talent that includes Jack Clarke, Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil and Beale believes Saturday provides a "great opportunity" for his young team to show what they can do.
"We've got to be the best version of ourselves and trust the work we've been doing," Beale told a pre-match press conference.
"There's a reason why we're riding high in the Championship, there's a reason why we've had the good results the team has had over the last couple of months, so there's a lot of good work going on. Take the emotion out of it as much as you can and play the game that's in front of you.
"We've got young players in our squad that I think are showing up really well at the moment. This is a great opportunity for them to go and show up against a team who may not have had perfect results of late, but let's not fool ourselves, this Newcastle squad is a good one."
Saturday's eagerly anticipated Wear-Tyne derby will be the first meeting of both sides since March 2016, where their Premier League clash finished in a 1-1 draw and ended Sunderland's run of six derby victories on the trot.
Since then both teams have endured plenty of changes as the Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations and spent four years in League One before reaching the Championship play-offs in their first season back last term.
Newcastle's fortunes have also changed in that time with the club being taken over by Amanda Staveley's Saudi-backed consortium in 2021 and they have since challenged at the top end of the Premier League table, even securing Champions League football this season.
Beale acknowledged how long the last derby had been as both clubs prepared to meet again, nearly eight years later.
"It's a fixture that captivates everybody in the north east, but more than that, I think everyone in the country," he added.
"It's a huge fixture. We love our derbies just in general in English football, but I think in this part of the world as I say, to only have one in the last seven years - it's great to have it.
"We need to be at our very best. It's obviously a difference between the two teams at the moment, in that those seven years have been different for both clubs in terms of the ups and downs.
"As we arrive into the game, it's intriguing with our very young squad and ambitious team going up against a Champions League team this season. It's a fantastic game for the neutral as well."