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.
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Roberts was also dropped to the bench at Wigan - a move that Mowbray himself admitted was 'harsh' on him - but came on to win the penalty that Stewart converted, score a goal himself, and provide an assist for Amad. "We've got some talented attackers," said Mowbray.
"It's not easy to manage, because generally attacking players have egos attached to them, and they all want to play. They all sulk when they come off because they think they can score, and yet my job is to incorporate everybody but also try to get them to be humble enough to understand that it's not about them.
"I tell them I love them all, yet I can't pick eight strikers and attacking midfielders because we have to try to win the match. Football's always about a balance, but there is a lot of riches in that attacking part of the field now considering that a couple of months ago, we had no strikers at all.
"Now, we seem to be flush with them. We've picked up defensive injuries, so we’ll have to try to get them back, but things are definitely looking brighter at the other end."
Despite losing both Stewart and Simms for an extended period, Sunderland fourth highest scorers in the Championship with 37 goals - a tally bettered only by top two Burnley and Sheffield United, along with Middlesbrough. The Black Cats' win at Wigan lifted them to fourth place in the table, although that may change depending on the outcomes of tonight's Championship fixtures, with their next outing seeing them face next-to-bottom Blackpool on New Year's Day.
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