Sunderland did not pursue a striker

An replace has emerged on Sunderland and the way they went about their enterprise on deadline day of the summer time switch window…

What’s the discuss?

Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray has confirmed that the membership didn’t try to signal a centre-forward on deadline day to cowl Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms.

The previous is now set to be out of motion for as much as 12 weeks attributable to an harm and that leaves the supervisor with one pure striker for the subsequent few months.

When requested if a quantity 9 was a goal on the ultimate day of the window, Mowbray instructed The Chronicle: “Not likely. One was a reasonably versatile, defensive midfield participant, who might cowl Corry Evans’ place for us and in addition play out within the full-back space, and one may need been a defensive participant.

“However there wasn’t anyone who was, in my thoughts, a stick-on centre ahead. I believe that’s why Ellis Simms has been introduced in, to try this.”

Paying the worth

Kristjaan Speakman opted towards bringing a pure striker in to bolster the squad and Mowbray is now paying the worth for that call on the pitch.

Was not signing a striker a mistake?

Sunderland performed all of their matches within the Championship in August with two strikers of their formation, with Simms and Stewart main the road for Alex Neil earlier than his departure.

The harm to the latter has now left the present supervisor with one out there striker for the subsequent three months, which leaves the membership in a precarious place.

Firstly, it has compelled Mowbray to alter the formation. He needed to swap it as much as a 3-4-2-1 as an alternative of a 3-4-1-2 due to the harm to Stewart and that led to a disappointing efficiency away to Middlesbrough in a 1-0 defeat earlier this month.

Simms struggled up entrance on his personal as he misplaced a whopping 14 of his 16 particular person duels, failed all 4 of his tried dribbles, and solely accomplished 57% of his passes, as per SofaScore.

This may very well be an indication of issues to return because the on-loan Everton striker might not have the ability to thrive with out his strike companion, after scoring three targets in six video games as a part of Sunderland’s dynamic duo up entrance previous to the harm.

Not solely does the choice to not signal a striker doubtlessly impression Simms’ performances on the pitch however it additionally leaves him with none cowl on the bench. Which means one harm to him would end in Mowbray not having a single pure possibility in that space of the pitch.

Banking on the Englishman to be match for each recreation over the subsequent three months looks like a chance by the membership and will backfire on the supervisor if he finally ends up dropping factors due to an absence of leading edge within the ultimate third.

Due to this fact, not bringing in appropriate cowl for Simms and Stewart on deadline day was an enormous blunder by Speakman because it has left Mowbray with one out there striker for 12 weeks and compelled a change of formation that has the potential to impression their outcomes on the pitch – given the defeat to Middlesbrough.