Tony Mowbray, the manager of Sunderland, has raised concerns about the club’s search for a new striker. In an interview with The Northern Echo, he indicated that Sunderland might not secure another forward during the January transfer window. The team has been without a reliable goal-scoring striker since Ross Stewart sustained a serious injury in January. Joe Gelhardt temporarily filled the void on loan from Leeds United for the latter part of the season but managed only three goals before returning to Elland Road.
Following Stewart’s departure to Southampton on transfer deadline day, Sunderland made several attacking signings including Eliezer Mayenda, Nazariy Rusyn, Luis Hemir, and Mason Burstow to reinforce their attack. However, none of these signings have prior experience in the Championship, and Sunderland is yet to witness any of their strikers score since Gelhardt’s goal against Huddersfield Town in April.
Despite rotating these summer signings in the hope of finding a reliable goal scorer among them, they have fallen short in front of goal. Many fans had hoped for the recruitment of a proven goal scorer in January, but Mowbray has now admitted uncertainty about whether the club will fulfill this wish.
“I don’t know if we will be signing a striker,” he added.
“Of course, I am asked and attend recruitment meetings, but we haven’t had one since January.”
“However, I believe the club will tell me, ‘we have Mayenda, Rusyn, Hemir, and Burstow on loan from Chelsea, so you have four strikers, what do you need another striker for?'”
“I believe that will be the case. But that’s all well; we’ll simply have to keep working with them.
“After each game, we show them their game clips to see what they could have done better.”
“They are here to learn and grow, with the hope of becoming major players.”
“I’m not sure they’re ready to help us win games like at Millwall, where we had enough possession to win 3-0.” We don’t have that striker right now.”
Can Sunderland cope without a new striker?
While Tony Mowbray mentioned that it was “fine” to not have an additional striker available, it’s evident that he might be growing frustrated with the club’s reluctance to secure a suitable replacement for Ross Stewart. The 60-year-old manager is facing considerable pressure due to a recent string of poor results. While the entire team is underperforming, the addition of a prolific goal scorer could significantly alter their prospects for the second half of the season.
However, even if they opt not to pursue a striker, Sunderland might need to focus on signings in other positions to compensate for this deficiency. One potential signing reportedly on their radar is Amad Diallo. The Ivorian player made a substantial impact last season and could potentially provide the much-needed difference for the team. Additionally, his presence might also create more opportunities for the struggling strikers by enhancing the supply of chances in the attacking third.
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