After just 12 matches in charge, Beale was removed from his position in the Sunderland dugout on Tuesday, a consequence of two away defeats to struggling sides.
Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City each got the better of Sunderland to leave the North East outfit seven points adrift of the playoff places,
Whether Sunderland can get back on track under interim head coach Michael Dodds remains to be seen, yet the 37-year-old was able to instigate an upturn in fortunes before Beale’s arrival.
Sunderland defeated each of West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United at the Stadium of Light – just two of 10 victories they have posted at their home ground in the second tier.
Before his departure, Beale also guided Sunderland to home successes over Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle, and there will be a certain level of optimism that they can kick-start their campaign on Saturday.
From Swansea’s perspective, appointing Notts County boss Luke Williams was always going to be a risk, one worth taking at the time given his track record with his previous club.
However, six defeats in seven games in all competitions have put Williams under pressure in South Wales, Swansea on the brink of being dragged into a relegation battle.
As it stands, there is a four-point cushion ahead of 22nd position, yet that may change with Queens Park Rangers playing host to Rotherham United at the weekend.
On a plus note, Swansea did beat promotion-chasing Hull City by a 1-0 scoreline in their last away fixture, ending a two-month streak without a win on their travels.
