Sunderland will play Sheffield Wednesday on Friday night in an effort to resume their winning ways.
So what key decisions will Mowbray be weighing up this week and what should fans expect from his selection? Here we take a closer look at the tweaks he might well make, and those he almost certainly won’t.
Sunderland’s four-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end against Cardiff City on Sunday, but Tony Mowbray indicated in the aftermath that his squad shouldn’t be very unhappy with the performance.
When they go to face Sheffield Wednesday on Friday, the Black Cats will have a chance to immediately get back on track.
Even if it will take time to defeat teams that set up with a low block at the Stadium of Light, Mowbray made it apparent that he was generally satisfied with many facets of Sunderland’s performance against Cardiff City.
Undoubtedly, Sunderland is a team that thrives when opponents attack them and provide gaps for them to fill, which is why Mowbray believes that during the past 12 months, they have frequently had more success away from home. Nevertheless, he thought that the dominance displayed by his team for big portions of the game was very encouraging. He also stated that, despite Cardiff’s emergence late in the game, he didn’t believe that fatigue was a major problem.
By riskily inserting a second attacking midfielder and later, a third striker, Mowbray did significantly widen the field of play. Therefore, we shouldn’t anticipate any major adjustments at Hillsborough on Friday night.
Despite his unhappiness with the situation, the head coach believes his team is in a strong position and will support them in recovering.
THE LATEST INJURY DESCRIBED AND WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN
Whether Mowbray does make any adjustments may be largely influenced by how the injury situation has changed.
The head coach had hoped late last week that Pierre Ekwah would return to full health soon, and if that turns out to be the case, his talent makes him a strong candidate to rejoin the team right away.
During Ekwah’s absence, Jobe Bellingham has performed admirably in a slightly more withdrawn role, but Sunday’s game demonstrated why Mowbray has tended to use him high up the pitch in the early stages of the season, where his running power can stretch the opposition defense and add another goal threat in the box.
Sunderland will not risk Ekwah if they do not have to, but he is one of the first names on the teamsheet for a reason. Mowbray will also have to make an injury decision about Bradley Dack.
Mowbray stated last week that Dack may have played against Cardiff City, but the club will not take any risks with the player considering his history of injuries. That seems he is a strong contender to return on Friday, giving Mowbray the option to play without a traditional striker if he believes it is best for the game.
Sunderland’s identity has formed in the absence of one over the last year, and recent weeks have proven that it will be a process to recalibrate as summer acquisitions across the frontline find their way into the side on a regular basis. Mason Burstow has shown flashes of quality and athleticism on the long run, but his team is struggling to get him in scoring positions right now.
Mowbray’s most likely move for Friday is to stick with Burstow and possibly give him a break next week when Dack is completely up to speed.
