Sunderland may finally have gotten back to winning ways with victory over Stoke City on Saturday lunchtime, but the game highlighted one player’s struggles.
After a run of six games without a win, Sunderland were desperate to get back on track against Stoke, and two goals from local hero Tommy Watson sealed the three points in the end.
Regis Le Bris will no doubt be happy with the resilience shown by his Black Cats stars, especially given Sunderland claimed a win from a losing position for the first time this term.
But, there is one player in the Sunderland squad who has put in another disappointing performance, and the time for change has surely arrived now.
Wilson Isidor struggled vs Stoke City when Sunderland needed him most
Wilson Isidor has been leading the line for the Mackems all season, and until recently, it was easy to see why, with the striker having five goals to his name.
But, Sunderland’s goal drought of late had become an issue, and a lot of the responsibility for that naturally falls on Isidor’s shoulders.
While the three points may have come Sunderland’s way on Saturday, there were no signs of improvement for Isidor, and his statistics from SofaScore paint a sorry picture overall.
Isidor registered an xG of 0.79 in his 89 minutes on the pitch, with three shots on target and one off target, but the Frenchman missed two big chances.
| Statistic | Wilson Isidor vs Stoke City |
|---|---|
| Touches | 18 |
| Shots on target | 3 |
| Shots off target | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 2 |
| xG | 0.79 |
| Pass successs | 71% |
| Possession lost | 3 |
| Duels won | 75% |
He did have the ball in the back of the net at one stage, but given he was standing on the back post, the goal was always going to be chalked off for offside.
Simply put, Isidor did not show the clinical edge needed to make a difference against Stoke, with poor, wasteful finishing on a number of occasions in the first half. After the interval, the striker faded out of the game, as evidenced by his meagre 18-touch performance.
He struggled to hold up the ball, did not make the necessary runs and movement to be in dangerous positions, and appears to be a striker devoid of confidence and ideas right now.
- READ MORE: Sunderland’s £6m man admits Black Cats exit is on the cards as he’s left with ‘weird’ feeling
Aaron Connolly deserves a chance against Bristol City
Isidor must now be replaced by Aaron Connolly for the next game, against Bristol City. The two strikers are very different, but the ‘fantastic’ Connolly offers everything his colleague isn’t right now.
Connolly is a lot more dynamic, hard-working, and arguably a more intelligent forward who will find those key pockets of space behind the opposition defence and who is far more likely to make that burst into the box to get on the end of the crosses Tommy Watson and Patrick Roberts are constantly delivering.
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There was a time not long ago that the idea of pairing Connolly and Isidor appeared to be the best solution for Sunderland. But, now, Isidor needs a reset, and dropping to the bench could be the ideal motivation for him to get back on track.
Meanwhile, Connolly will naturally be hungry to keep his season moving in the right direction, and would be a very different, very dangerous prospect for the Bristol City defence on Tuesday.