Tony Mowbray has admitted he’s always been a Sunderland fan since they won the FA Cup in 1973.
The Boro legend has outlined Sunderland’s plan for a return to the Premier League - that lured him away from kickabouts in the garden with his kids. The 58-year-old won his first game in charge 3-0 against Rotherham on Wednesday night after his “whirlwind” succession of Alex Neil, who quit for Stoke on Friday.
He had planned a break from management to see more of his sons after his contract at Blackburn ran out in the summer following their play-off near miss. Mowbray is a Boro legend, and faces the side he captained and managed on Monday night. But he insisted he loves ALL the North East trio of big clubs, because of “the emotion, the passion and people”.
Redcar lad Mowbray said: “It is amazing. Sunderland means a lot to me. All the North East clubs do. I was nine years old living in a council estate in Redcar and Sunderland won the FA Cup in 1973, Ian Porterfield back stick, against mighty Leeds United. I remember jumping up as a Boro fan, phwoar… you had the cane back in those days! I had emotions for it. I just love football. Everyone should want to manage the North East teams because of the emotion and the passion and people. You have to try and feed it and feed off it as players.
“When you manage and play for a working class team, an industrial town, and for centuries people have grafted and got dirt under their fingernails… these footballers have to work for the people who come to watch them. That’s what they will get from this team. We will show we care for the town and people who watch us.”
Mowbray has watched Sunderland and Boro this season, believing his presence at games would not undermine Neil or Chris Wilder because they were going nowhere. He admitted: “I wasn’t expecting or looking to get back into football so quickly. I feel like I needed to get back into football so early. I left Blackburn and talked about spending time with my family, having a rest, smaller days and playing footy in the garden with my kids.
"My head of recruitment at Blackburn came here and I phoned him up and said any chance of a ticket to watch the match so I can get out of the house on a Saturday. If the team was struggling they might think Tony Mowbray is there he must think there is a job coming up. I watched Chris Wilder’s team too. I felt comfortable that I could watch those games, but from nowhere this happened. Here I am and I am very proud.”
HAVE YOUR SAY! Is Mowbray the man to get Sunderland up? Let us know in the comments section
Sunderland have a plan under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, and that is to bring young talent to the club and develop it. Mowbray explained the vision he has been sold, and with it what appeared a veiled snipe at big-spending Newcastle.
He added: “They are not saying 'win the league this year'. They want to grow incrementally. They don’t want to spend £100m this summer. They want to put quality and talent into the club and let it grow. Let the senior players set the standard, Corry Evans, Danny Batth, good human beings, so kids see how to be a footballer. I hope we can compete.”
Sunderland have signed Abdoullah Ba from Le Havre, while Edouard Michut and Amad Diallo arrived on season-long loans from Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, respectively. Mowbray said: “We are investing in some really young lads. I watched them on presentations from the recruitment department… agile, clever fast footballers. At the right moment put them into a game when the physicality has gone out of it you will see some footballers who will light up the league.
“Statistically my Blackburn were the second youngest side in the league, finished eighth, should have got in the play-offs, but didn’t. You can drive young players if they have a growth mindset and look you in the eye and want to play in the Premier League and want to be better.
"They listen and work and understand after being the best player in their district, and having it easy, they have to run and fight. They have a manager who will shout and be on their case and drive them. Football isn’t just about running and dribbling it is about character, personality, passion and drive.
The veteran ex-Celtic, and West Brom boss added: “When you have a club like this and a fanbase like this your stomach feels for the fans. You want the team to score, create, whizz the ball across the box and get the fans having a good night coming to enjoy the football. We have some really talented footballers and I will enjoy working with them. If it is not broken don’t try to fix it. I am conscious of that.”
