A REFRESHED Steven Fletcher believes he is reaping the rewards from his first pre-season campaign since 2011. Fletcher netted a brace in Sunderlandâs first friendly of the summer on Saturday, as the Black Cats coasted to a 5-1 victory over non-league Darlington 1883. It was a welcome contribution from the Scotland striker, who endured a miserable campaign last year with two ankle injuries and a shoulder problem affecting both his form and goal output. Fletcher believes he ultimately paid the price for spending all of last summer recovering from the ankle injury sustained at the end of the previous season on international duty. The 27-year-old had no time off and was unable to participate in any of Sunderlandâs pre-season fixtures, as was the case during the summer of 2012 when he was still a Wolves player, before his £12million move to the Stadium of Light. But, after returning to training a week ahead of schedule earlier this month, Fletcher is eager to rediscover the predatory instincts he showed during his maiden campaign with Sunderland. Fletcher told the Echo: âIâve not had a pre-season for two or three years, but this one has been going well so far. âTouch-wood, it stays the way it is. âThe boys went away straight away, but I stayed on at the end of the season for a few days with the physios. âThen I came back a week earlier. I was ticking over on my own when I went away, too. âI only had a quiet holiday and carried on working out over there. âEven last summer, I didnât get any time off because I was in rehabing from the season before. âIt just felt like it was so long. I got to Christmas and it felt like the longest season of my life. âSo itâs been good to get that break and I feel refreshed coming back.â Fletcher tucked away two tap-ins during the first half at Bishop Aucklandâs Heritage Park and the former Burnley and Hibs frontman could have had a hat-trick before Sunderland head coach Gus Poyet changed the entire XI at the interval. Despite Sunderlandâs victory over humble opposition, Fletcher admits it was still a boost to find the net for the first time since December. He added: âI havenât scored for a while, it felt a bit weird scoring. âI was going to back-heel the first, but I thought I better not! âBut itâs good to get off the mark. I know itâs only a friendly, but all goals are good, to be honest. âObviously, goals give players a lot of confidence. âHopefully we can get a few more before the season starts. âMinutes on the pitch are most important thing. Training is all well and good, but when you get out there, itâs a different story.â
A fully-fit, motivated Fletcher would be like a new signing for us. There's definitely a goalscorer there, and I'm confident Gus will be able to work out how best to use him.
Yep, lad seems to have been hit by the old 'write him off' bug that we get from time to time, facts are he's been a 1 in 3 striker over a lot of games in his career. If he does find form and adapts to Gus style, facts are he is the man who will get goals. With service, Fletcher is a goalscorer, plain and simple. I'll be delighted if he gets back up towards 15 this season.
Ffs he only scored 2 against Darlington hope he scores for fun against **** in preseason and we can sell the useless plank.
Defining season in his career me thinks. Could be the season he is finally seen as a decent premiership striker and not a perennial 10 goal a season man constantly in a relegation battle. If he starts as our main striker and bangs goals in then we will do well if he doesn't we will struggle as I dont think we can fully rely on Whickham and Altidore although he tries and his all round game isn't too bad will struggle to score a lot of goals at this level.
I think Wickham will be on fire this season and with a fit Fletcher in the running as well, it could be an exciting season ahead..
I always try look on the positive side of things..It beats being a miserable twat any day of the week
Sign Wickham and keep fletch with Jose as well and we don't need to sign a forward. We need quality defenders and a midfielder.
Nothing wrong with BCS comment that I can see. Big difference between scoring regular in the EPL than tap ins against Darlo.
Ive never thought Fletcher was any good even before we bought him I thought he was average at best. And its not being optimistic or pessimistic its just how I have always viewed him, the fact that we got our eyes took out and bought him, is no reason to start salivating over him, he was ****e before us, is ****e for us and will be ****e after we sell him (hopefully very very soon).
Last season he was very bad and looked disinterested, but if he can show the finishing he first showed when he joined now he's getting a pre-season in then he'll be very handy
Is this the same fletcher who was strutting about last season saying he was away at the end of the season when it looked like we were doomed. 2 faced **** that he is I don't like his attitude if it were true and would **** him off for it. If it's not true then I apologise
I remember that you always said you didn't rate him, but how on earth was he ****e before he joined us, being top scorer at every club he played for? Averaging 1 in 3 in teams that were perenial strugglers?
