After months of make-do-and-mend in the attacking third, Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray admits he now faces the very different problem of trying to keep all his forward players happy. In September and October, injuries to Ross Stewart and on-loan Everton man Ellis Simms left the Black Cats without a centre-forward and meant that Mowbray had to think creatively and find a way to use players such as Amad, Alex Pritchard, Patrick Roberts, and Jack Clarke, to manufacture an attacking threat.
But with Stewart and Simms now fit again and firing - they have scored five goals between them in the last three games - Mowbray is finding himself having to leave some of his forward players out in order to pick a balanced side. Against Blackburn on Boxing Day, Stewart started and Simms began on the bench but both players ended up on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.
And then last night in the 4-1 win at Wigan, Simms was in the starting XI while Stewart was on the bench but again both men ended up with a goal.
