Joe Nicholson has been speaking on The Roar podcast about how tiredness and the club’s failure to recruit are impacting Sunderland’s current form.
The Black Cats found themselves right in the thick of the battle for automatic promotion at the beginning of January, however, they’re now just inside the play-offs, although most teams around them have games in hand, so could easily slip out.
Will Alex Neil get Sunderland promoted?
Yes!
No!
It appears to have all gone downhill very quickly at the Stadium of Light since they sacked Lee Johnson following their 6-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers. Since then, the only celebration Sunderland fans have had is the return of Jermain Defoe amid one win in their last 10 league matches, hurting the morale of fans and players.
Nicholson believes there are a lot of factors contributing towards Sunderland’s poor form but recruitment, or lack of, is a big one.
He said: “The home form had been really good, but then the last few weeks, again, it’s just dropped off a cliff, both home and away. It’s a lot of factors: it’s confidence, it’s sacking Lee Johnson perhaps at the wrong time – a day before transfer deadline day, it’s the recruitment; it’s a number of different factors that have led to this.
“Alex Neil again alluded to it yesterday that a lot of the players look tired, he can’t make the changes in certain positions.”
TIF Thoughts on Sunderland’s current situation…
Alex Neil is right to note that some players need a rest such as Callum Doyle, but can’t afford to drop them because of a lack of options, particularly in the backline, with the club having just four fit senior centre-backs – which could seem enough, but not when Neil opted for a back three against Burton Albion – as well as one fit first-team left-back in Dennis Cirkin, who’s playing in his first full season of first-team football.
However, there is very little, if anything, that Neil can do about it now. He just needs to assess his squad very quickly and get to grips with it as soon as possible with the Black Cats having two very tricky away fixtures back-to-back, so times are not getting easier for a side that is one of the worst on recent form.
In other news: ‘Thankfully’ – Echo journalist shares potential ‘big’ injury boost for Sunderland