SEVEN games into his Sunderland reign, and Michael Beale is already having to listen to choruses of “You’re getting sacked in the morning” ringing around the Stadium of Light. On and off the pitch, things are far from well on Wearside at the moment.

These are fractious times, with the decision to dismiss Tony Mowbray and install Beale having formed part of a series of events that have driven a wedge between the Black Cats fanbase and the Sunderland hierarchy.

Beale is having to face the full force of the supporters’ unhappiness, and while that might be somewhat unfair on the former Rangers and QPR boss, who finds himself in the firing line while Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman hide away in the directors’ box, it is nevertheless a situation that will only become even more toxic unless results and performances improve.

Losing to a Hull side that was beaten on Humberside as recently as last month would have been bad enough anyway, but it was the listless nature of Sunderland’s performance last night that was the most concerning aspect of the evening. Devoid of creativity, pace and anything remotely resembling a goalscoring threat in the final third, the Black Cats looked a pale imitation of the side that was challenging for promotion under Mowbray for much of the first half of the season.

Beale’s Sunderland side barely created a chance all night, meaning that Fabio Carvalho’s deflected 71st-minute strike was sufficient to earn Hull all three points and condemn the hosts to a third successive defeat in all competitions. Hardly an ideal start to 2024.

With Nazariy Rusyn restored to the starting line-up as a central striker, Sunderland set up with Alex Pritchard on the right and Jobe Bellingham in the ‘number ten’ role. There was a fluidity to the Black Cats’ system, with Pritchard spending most of his time roaming infield from the flank, but there was no incision to Sunderland’s attacking play, particularly during a soporific first half that was in keeping with the subdued atmosphere within the Stadium of Light.

Despite enjoying plenty of possession and trying to get forward in numbers when the opportunity allowed, the hosts only recorded one effort at goal in the whole of the first half. Even that was something of a non-event, with Pritchard breaking forward towards the edge of the area before prodding in a weak left-footed strike that was easily saved by Ryan Allsop.

Rusyn’s limitations were apparent as he failed to seriously trouble Hull’s back four, with Bellingham also struggling to make much of an impression. Having shone extremely brightly in the first couple of months of his Sunderland career, the 18-year-old is suffering the kind of lull that is probably understandable for someone of his age and limited experience.

The whole of the Sunderland side is stuttering somewhat at the moment, with Jack Clarke’s sporadic flashes of brilliance the only real route towards a goal. As has been said on numerous occasions already this month, you shudder to think where the creativity would come from if a Premier League bid was to result in Clarke leaving before the start of February.

Hull’s main source of creativity was Carvalho, whose loan from Liverpool earlier this month was a notable coup for the Tigers. Carvalho floated around in the final third, asking questions of Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, the latter of whom made a couple of crucial first-half tackles.

Like Allsop in the Hull goal, Anthony Patterson was not really extended for much of the night, although the Sunderland shot-stopper was alert on the half-hour mark when a slick passing move from the visitors ended with Carvalho rolling the ball into Lewis Coyle’s path. The full-back stabbed in a low strike, but Patterson got down to save.

The rest of the first half was a scrappy affair, with Hull’s tally of five yellow cards before the interval contributing to the stop-start nature of the evening, and things didn’t really improve after the break with neither side able to generate any kind of attacking rhythm.

Pritchard’s willingness to roam around in search of space made him Sunderland’s most dangerous attacker, although it wasn’t really a night when anyone stood out as being especially threatening.

It took until the hour mark for Allsop to be called into action to make a meaningful save, and the fact that the Black Cats’ most threatening moment came from a defender said it all. A cross from the left was only cleared to Trai Hume, who was loitering 25 yards from goal, and after taking a touch to bring the ball under control, the full-back fired in a dipping effort that was tipped over the crossbar.

It felt like a game that needed something from the substitutes’ bench to change things, but as has been the case for much of his Sunderland tenure so far, Michael Beale appeared reluctant to turn to his replacements.

While Hull boss Liam Rosenior brought on Billy Sharp to try to spruce up his own side’s attack, Beale waited until the 72nd minute before throwing on Luis Hemir to replace Rusyn. By that time, his side had fallen behind.

There was an element of fortune to Hull’s opener, with Fabio Carvalho’s volley from the edge of the area flicking off Hume’s head before flying past Patterson. It did not feel unwarranted though, with Sunderland’s defenders having failed to deal with the corner that eventually led to Tyler Morton crossing for the Liverpool loanee.

Shortly after the ball hit the back of the net, a significant section of the Roker End directed their ire at Beale. Even at this early stage of his Wearside tenure, it is hard to see how the embattled boss will turn thing around.