Sunderland put in a much-improved performance against Bristol City last time out. But there’s one downside.
Sunderland needed a big reaction against Bristol City following that 5-1 defeat against Blackburn Rovers on Easter Monday.
And Mike Dodds certainly got one; his Black Cats side looked much more formidable and energetic against the Robins, going on to earn a point after a 0-0 draw.
But many, including Dodds after the game, said that Sunderland should’ve won.
His side had 20 shots but couldn’t get past Man of the Match Max O’Leary in the Bristol City goal.
Sunderland are next in action against Leeds United in the Championship on Tuesday night.
Kieron Brady reveals the one ‘downside’ for Sunderland after Bristol City
Once again, it’s the same old story of Sunderland lacking a striker.
Since Ross Stewart left the club, and even long before that when he was on the sidelines, the Black Cats have lacked an out and out goal-scorer.
Their summer signings before this season haven’t hit the mark and once again in January, Sunderland and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman let a transfer window go by without signing a new forward.
It’s a cause of concern among fans and one that creates divide between the fans and the club, and owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who’s certainly not been immune to criticism in recent weeks.
And speaking on BBC’s Total Sport, former Black Cats man turned BBC pundit Kieron Brady said:
“I think you would take heart from the performance. It’s certainly an improvement on what we’ve seen recently. I think if the opposition goalkeeper is Man of the Match, it tells its own story.
“But I think the downside for the decision-makers is that, many of the people that were quite forceful about the lack of a reputable forward will feel that their position is once again vindicated.”
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus needs to address Sunderland striker issues or face backlash
We’ve seen this season, and particularly of late, Sunderland co-owner Louis-Dreyfus come under scrutiny for the running of the club.
Whilst there are plenty of positives, Sunderland fans feel like this season could’ve held so much more for the club, but that planning from the owners and Speakman has thwarted the campaign.
And it’s the subject of not signing a striker, or more broadly the over-emphasis on signing young players, that’s really caused a divide between fans and the club.
Sunderland have certainly seen worse days than the present. But there’s still a lot of avoidable mistakes being made, like not signing a striker in January and instead signing the likes of Callum Styles and Leo Hjelde; who both play in the same position and who’ve not impressed.
The summer ahead then, managerial appointment included, is a huge one, and not addressing the club’s lack of goals will surely see Louis-Dreyfus and Speakman experience a new wave of fan criticism.