Tony Mowbray expressed his concern over finding another player like Amad Diallo back in May. But he had someone better right under his nose.
Amad Diallo was no doubt sublime for Sunderland last season. His 14-goals and four assists were a huge part of the playoff run we went on.
At times last season it seemed as though Amad was single handedly pushing for promotion with others not stepping up.
This was a cause of concern for Tony Mowbray who upon the seasons finale, suggested he would struggle to replace the impact Amad had.
Mowbray questioned, “what does next season look like? We want to grow the club, who will come in that can do what Amad has done for us?”
Following this, Mowbray inadvertently answered his own question when he said: “We have Patrick (Roberts), we have Jack (Clarke). Those players can make a difference and if you have a structure behind them they can win games, let’s wait and see.”
Now in Jack Clarke, he has something which could be even better than Amad.
Jack Clarke fills the Amad Diallo void and more
Clarke hasn’t just shot up out of nowhere, nine goals and 11 assists last season in the league show he was on the rise anyway, however this season he’s risen levels up.
What made Amad so influential is that he looked a cut above the rest of the league, and that is how Clarke looks this season.
Seven goals in just 10.6 90s this season according to FBRef, showcase how brilliant he has been. However his impact hasn’t gone unnoticed, with links to multiple Premier League sides such as Brentford.
Promotion for Sunderland is the only way we can keep hold of him beyond this season, as he is far too good for Championship football now.
Clarke has done an excellent job at removing any pre-season concerns Mowbray may have had. If he continues along these lines, he could get over 30 G/A which would be a phenomenal return and likely guarantees playoff action for Sunderland.