Combine with telling our midfielders they don't always have to beat a man two or three times before they move the ball on and we'll score more goals. I never thought I'd say this about a Sunderland team, but we're far too tippy tappy. Whoever's up front makes a run, but ole! Winger cuts back again. Makes a second run.....ole! Winger cuts back again. Whoever's up front eventually stops bothering. When we play with one or two touches at pace we carve teams up. It's a tinker, not a revolution in how we play, and we've got to score more goals because we give away so many soft goals.
Or title post as "two upfront" as one option may not currently be available. In response to you OP I'd go with one up top and one supporting. It need not necessarily be the same individual in either position all game, just to keep the opposition on their toes.
It's a fair point that we do overplay at times. Hard to say why it is....are we trying to walk the ball into the net,or are we lacking positive movement in the final third....bit of both probably.
Fair point. Football is all about confidence. A striker who is scoring regularly will be more confident to try something different or make that extra run. That confidence then spreads to the rest of the team who will trust him more and make that pass to try and score rather that trying to create a better opportunity, which may or may not happen. However what came first the chicken or the egg? Do we start playing earlier, risker passes to slip in a striker or does the striker need to score first to earn the trust of the rest of the team. That's why I'm not a football manager, well apart from the fact I'd be useless at it .
I agree. What we can't do though is replace him with another midfielder who doesn't get forwards to support the striker. Nobody else we have seems capable of doing it. Might as well stick another striker in in the hope the pair can create something between them.
I think the conundrum is getting 4 players (Neil, Ekwah, Jobe & Pritchard) into 3 positions in the team (hence the temptation to play without a striker) Neil and Ekwah have to play, Pritch is our best link man and brand JobeTM won't be dropped so the obvious one is a non-scoring striker (Not saying Jobe isn't worth his place in the team, but I have a feeling there were certain guarantees given prior to him signing)
I hope that isn't the case but may well be as the lad stands to make the club a fortune imo. Likely to sell Jobe for more than the club went for. He has played well and deserves his place but he is a young lad and I think all the players need rotation to keep them at peak and injury free especially at that age. Only one I would say we can't swap out is Neil, there is no one to step into his shoes he was very good last night (still can't shoot like ) I think we need to get Rusyn or Hemir in for Burstow at a minimum.
Playing 3/5/2 would solve a few problems and using our capacity in mid field to support two strikers up front and three tall defenders at the back, plenty of options already available in the current squad if TM would to face reality and stop picking his favourites who arn't delivering and havent all season.
For what its worth, although Pritchard and Dack offer different attributes playing in the number 10 role and Jobe is currently in possession of that slot, I wouldn't mind seeing Aouchiche being given a go in that role. He seems a threat going forward and knows when to have a pop at goal. We might not be playing to Burstow's strengths but I'm yet to be impressed by him and again wouldn't mind seeing Rusyn given a go up top.
