Sunderland are struggling for goals. There are no two ways about it. Since Phil Parkinson joined the club, the Back Cats have only managed to score more than once in one game (WhoScored.com).
Luckily for Parkinson, goals have come from multiple areas of the park during his stint as manager. If you included the anomaly that is Sunderland’s 5-0 win over Tranmere, the team have scored nine goals. Of those nine goals, there have been seven different goal scorers. Luke O’Nien and Chris Maguire each have two, while Aiden McGeady, Marc McNulty, Duncan Watmore, Lynden Gooch and Will Grigg each have one (WhoScored.com).
And while this statistic might suggest that there are plenty of players in the squad capable of scoring, there is an obvious clinical finisher missing. After all, you can’t rely on your left-back to score all your goals, can you? Grigg, the club’s star forward, is meant to be that player. Parkinson needs him to become a regular scorer if the club want to challenge for promotion this season.
But perhaps it is time to bring in some fresh blood to stir the pot? Sunderland’s Jack Diamond is currently out on loan with Harrogate Town. The Conference Premier club pushed to extend the player’s contract until the end of the season, despite him not even earning playing time up until that point (Sunderland Echo).
It is clear that the 19-year-old has made an impression at the club, and Sunderland extended his loan until the end of the season (The Yorkshire Post). It is unlikely that Phil Parkinson will recall the forward before the end of the loan, but should the team get to the end of the season without meeting their objectives, it could be the perfect time for Parkinson to start experimenting. That is if the boss survives the season himself.
Should Diamond make a return to the Stadium of Light in the summer of 2020, he could be a welcome addition to the squad. Even if he doesn’t play, his presence could put pressure on the regular starters to step up their game. Hopefully, for Sunderland fans, a lot will have changed by then anyway.