Sooner or later, Sunderland will have to give Ricky Alvarez a chance please log in to view this image SHARP ... Ricky Alvarez. by Chris Young Print this 1 commentsHave your say! RICKY Alvarez will get the chance to make his mark in a Sunderland shirt, believes Black Cats coach Charlie Oatway. Alvarez has made just three starts for Sunderland since arriving on a season-long loan from Inter Milan during the summer after being beset by injury problems. The Argentine international spent two months on the sidelines with a knee problem, and has since been disrupted by a series of minor knocks – the latest of which saw him absent from the squad for last weekend’s defeat to Spurs. Alvarez has shown flashes of his ability, primarily as a substitute, yet the lack of game-time has not helped in the 26-year-old’s bid to acclimatise to the Premier League. But first-team coach Oatway continues to be impressed by Alvarez’s quality on the training field and says the opportunity will come for the midfielder to transfer that into a competitive environment. “Ricky’s all right,” Oatway told the Gazette. “He had one day off with a slight ankle problem, but then he was back and fine. “I think our game in the Premier League is so fast and hard. “The first game he played against Tottenham was a bit of a culture shock for him. “He got banged around everywhere, and we were under the cosh too because they played brilliant that day. “It’s been a learning curve for him, and he’s still adjusting. “But it doesn’t look like he’s struggling in training. “Every time I mark him, my cartilage goes! “He’s a sharp boy. “Sooner or later, we have to play him.” Should Alvarez remain a peripheral figure in the first-team picture, then the chances will recede of Sunderland signing him on a permanent deal during the summer. A clause was inserted into Alvarez’s loan move from Inter, which allows Sunderland to sign him at the end of the season for a fee thought to be around £8.5m.
He won't get used to the physicality of the game if he does experience it. Not playing him is waste of transfer and a waste of wages. Needs game time imo.
My comment wasn't directed at the player Funky. More the persistent quoting from staff at the club about how good such and such is on the training ground. I'd like to see some training ground performance's translated to a Saturday afternoon at 3pm.
If we are going to persist with the 5-3-2 formation then we need to get more from the midfield 3 Hopefully catts and Alvarez will come in for the burley game
Why not go mad and play 4-1-3-2. Pants Rev, JOS, crunchie head and PVA Catts Seb. AJ. Giachh Connor. JD This would give us Brids, Alvarez, Fletch n Rodders on the bench who can all do a decent job. It's Burnley ffs let's attack.
For me the problem is that poyet doesn't fancy our current center backs without a dedicated defensive midfielder in front of them I've said a few times now I like 4 2 3 1 and I'd go Pants Jones Jo's brown pva Seb catts Aj Connor giacch/alvarez Defoe
That's not true mate. False reporting. No one would sign that deal. What if he'd played four minutes broke his spine and he stayed up? We'll have the option. There's no compulsory terms at the end of loans unless it's an add on clause or something.
