Sunderland, during this very difficult period of form, have several players not up to the mark.
Sunderland managed to end a run of six-straight defeats with a 0-0 draw against QPR last time out.
And although avoiding another defeat is a win in itself, the game against QPR saw the Back Cats fail to register a single shot on goal, only taking a point thanks to some ‘unbelievable’ saves from Anthony Patterson.
Mike Dodds‘ side sit in 12th place of the table and only nine points above the drop zone.
This dire run of form has exposed a lot of things too; poor transfer planning from Kristjaan Speakman and perhaps some poor decision-making re managers, a lack of experience within the team, and a handful of misfiring players too.
Sunderland struggling after Michael Beale tenure
Sunderland haven’t won since the club sacked Michael Beale last month.
His negative tenure set the tone for this current vein of form, draining any and all confidence from the players, whilst injuries to the likes of Jack Clarke has done Dodds no favours either.
And in Clarke’s absence, nobody has managed to step up to the plate.
Romaine Mundle came in during the January transfer window, likely as a long-term successor to Clarke though he’s failed to impress so far.
Elsewhere, Abdoullah Ba has been in some poor form, arguably getting worse since Beale left the club.
And now, some recent comments from Dodds could spell bad news for the Frenchman.
Mike Dodds eyeing Tom Watson minutes at Sunderland
One name catching the eye at the Academy of Light recently is Tom Watson.
Footage has emerged on social media which showcases Watson’s traits and likeliness to Clarke, giving fans reason to want to see the 17-year-old in action sooner rather than later.
Dodds has now hinted at giving Watson some game-time between now and the end of the season, saying:
“I’ve had a conversation with him personally about where he fits, the things I think he does really well and the things I think he can improve on. He has real clarity on that. He’s definitely one I’m sure who will come into our thinking at some point, it probably won’t be this weekend but after that we’ll look to potentially integrate him into the group a little bit more.”
Tom Watson promotion could be bad news for Abdoullah Ba
Right now, Dodds has Mundle and Ba as the only fit, first-team wingers, with Clarke and Patrick Roberts sidelined.
There’s Chris Rigg as well but Dodds seems to prefer him in a more central position, meaning that someone like Watson could well be needed in the coming weeks.
And his recent performances for the youth sides have been very impressive; like Clarke, Watson is someone who can get on the ball deep and advance far up the pitch, beating players on the ball and scoring goals too, with six in 12 competitive youth appearances this season.
So for Ba who’s been hit and miss since joining Sunderland ahead of last season, it could mean bad news, especially with Sunderland and Dodds likely to give more chances to Mundle in the coming weeks.
Sunderland invested quite heavily in Mundle in January and so the club will surely be keen to give him game-time ahead of someone like Ba, who’s had plenty of chances, but who seems to be taking two steps forward and one step back.
Ba has proved inconsistent, and whilst Mundle hasn’t impressed all that much, he’s still being bled into the team, and Sunderland will want Mundle up and running for next season.
The same could be said of Watson with Clarke likely leaving in the summer, so it’ll be interesting to see if Watson can displace Ba in the side.