Jack Clarke has shown he can fill the gap caused by Sunderland's striker crisis, according to Tony Mowbray. With the Black Cats trailing 2-0, wideman Clarke was shifted to a central role for the second half of last weekend's game at Swansea City and he made a near-instant impact as he scored the goal which gave his side a glimmer of hope.
And while Sunderland were ultimately unable to find an equaliser, they offered more threat with Clarke playing through the middle than they had in the first half when Alex Pritchard and Amad Diallo were paired together up front. Mowbray is still looking for a solution in the final third, as the Wearsiders must continue to cope without injured frontmen Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms.
And Clarke's display at Swansea, in which he scored his fourth goal of the campaign, suggests he could be used in that central role more often. "Jack is a strong boy, stronger than he looks, I would suggest," said Mowbray, who is preparing his side for tomorrow's home game against Wigan Athletic.
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"He's fast and direct, and we needed to stretch the pitch and threaten the space behind them. It's really hard, with total respect to Pritch and Patrick and Embleton, it's really hard to get them to run without the ball in behind the opposition and make their defenders think about the space behind.
"We put Jack up there and he can run fast, and he got a break and ran away and whacked it in. Let's see if he can do it again for us some time, but of course I would prefer Ellis or Ross to be doing that for us."
On-loan Manchester United winger Amad played through the middle initially at Swansea, but the 20-year-old is better suited on the right flank - a role in which he shone in Monday night's U21 game against Leeds United. Mowbray said: "I watched him play a fair bit for Glasgow Rangers [where he was on loan] last season and every time he was coming in off that right-hand side.
"We're constantly encouraging him to shoot. He seems reluctant to shoot at this moment, and he has been getting battered by most of the coaching staff! He seems to constantly want to chop back onto his left foot, and still wants to dummy the last guy.
"Just whack it in the net, son! I think he prefers to play off the right-hand side, coming in on that left foot. I don't think he is a centre-forward, down the middle, patiently waiting on the shoulder [of the defender] and dive in behind. He wants to get on the ball and chop inside.
"It's about trying to change the habits of a lifetime, probably. He's a really tight footballer with the ball, his first touch is amazing, but it's just trying to fit him in around how we are going to do it.
"Patrick Roberts has got this amazing left foot and can dance around people, while Amad is quicker and more lithe, more direct, but he needs to add goals and assists because that's what your career has to be about if you play up front. Nobody is interested in some lovely nutmegs and turns, they want to see goals and assists."
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