Sunderland must use a “ruthless” academy standout who outperforms Rusyn.
Sunderland bounced back from an underwhelming 0-0 stalemate away at Swansea City with an impressive 3-1 home win over Birmingham City last match, Jobe Bellingham stealing the headlines with a goal against his former boyhood club to help the Black Cats pick up three points.
Tony Mowbray’s side find themselves in the last playoff spot in the current Championship standings off the back of that victory, clinging onto sixth spot on goal difference with West Brom and Hull City breathing down their necks in the positions directly below them.
The Durham-based outfit are continuing to succeed in the second tier without an out-and-out clinical striker at this moment in time, centre-back Daniel Ballard even outscoring first-team strikers Nazariy Rusyn, Mason Burstow and Luis Semedo with two goals whilst the trio of attackers spurn chances and fire blanks with zero goals between them.
Mowbray could well unleash U21’s striker Harry Gardiner into the first-team fold as a result, the 20-year-old has been gearing up for a senior opportunity for some time now with goal after goal for the Black Cats at youth level
