Carlton Palmer believes that Michael Beale should keep the faith with Mason Burstow at Sunderland instead of offloading him back to Chelsea.
Mason Burstow joined on loan from Chelsea at the start of the season after scoring ten goals and supplying four assists in 25 appearances in Premier League 2 last term.
Although there was a lot of excitement surrounding his arrival at the time, injuries – coupled with his lack of prolificacy – have diminished that feeling towards him.
In 12 Championship appearances, he’s failed to find the back of the net, though this is a position that every Sunderland striker has found themselves in.
On New Year’s Day, Nazariy Rusyn got himself off the mark at the Stadium of Light, and that was the first goal scored by any striker at the club this term.
The fact Burstow isn’t alone in his struggles has been a saving grace and Carlton Palmer believes Michael Beale should persist with him till the end of the season.
Michael Beale told Mason Burstow is ‘worth keeping’ by Carlton Palmer
It’s a difficult position for any club to be in when the strikers aren’t firing, but this is a situation Sunderland have become used to.
In the absence of a prolific goalscorer, Jack Clarke has benefitted from being the main man.
Their lack of threat centrally has translated into dynamite on the left wing with Clarke netting 12 Championship goals this term.
While the Black Cats would have expected more from their summer recruits to relieve the 23-year-old of that burden, Palmer believes that Burstow still has plenty to give between now and the end of the campaign.
Speaking to Football League World, the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder said: “He’s talented. Mick Beale might look at the situation and think it’s worth keeping him in the hope he comes good. Burstow is young, and both Nazariy Rusyn and Eliezer Mayenda were recruited in the summer and have failed to make a significant impact.”
Michael Beale can give Burstow a new lease of life
After watching Rusyn score his first goal in Sunderland colours, Burstow will be licking his lips at the prospect of getting off the mark himself.
The 20-year-old has struggled to adapt to the demands of senior football and hasn’t been helped by injury setbacks.
However, in a system that focuses on getting service to the forward players, as seen with Clarke’s inch-perfect cross into Rusyn, Burstow could thrive from receiving similar quality into him.
The youngster has forged a reputation for being supremely clinical in the penalty area and while he hasn’t translated that across to the North East, he still has time to show his class.
With Sunderland battling to stay in the top six in the second half of the season, Beale will need to squeeze every inch of quality out of his squad, and that could see Burstow begin to discover his shooting boots.