3 things we clearly learnt about Sunderland after their 0-0 draw v Coventry
Play-off chasing Sunderland came away with a point after failing to overcome 18th placed Lincoln City yesterday.
It was a disappointing result for the Black Cats who registered 16 shots, four of which were on target but failed to score any goals.
Alex Neil’s side remain in the play-off positions sat in sixth but only a point clear of Sheffield Wednesday below them.
Their next game comes after the international break where they face relegation battling Gillingham so it will be a tough game but one they will want to come out with three points from.
Here we look at three things we learnt from Sunderland’s weekend draw.
Consistency is key
Sunderland’s season can probably be summed up by the word consistency, or the lack of.
Throughout the season the side have floated in and out of the play-off spots.
Furthermore, if you look at their form from their last ten games they’ve won three games, lost three games and drawn four against an array of teams in the league.
Therefore, we can see that their up and down form has had an effect on their current league positioning.
As we approach the final run to the end of the season after the international break, Sunderland will be looking to solidify their place in the play-offs.
However, following their draw against Lincoln as well as Gillingham’s impressive 0-0 draw against Sheffield Wednesday you now recognise that that game could very well be a tough test for Sunderland.
If they want to get their play-off place, they’ll need to make sure they get a consistent run of results in their final seven games.
Patrick Roberts will have a role to play in their push for the play-offs
Patrick Roberts joined Sunderland in January. He’s had a frustrating time so far having to get his fitness up as a result of him not getting much game time at his previous loan clubs where he went from Manchester City.
However, he scored his first goal for Sunderland last week in his side’s 2-0 victory at Crewe Alexandra.
He completed 90 minutes for the Black Cats in yesterday’s game and was responsible for creating most of their chances.
Alex Neil described the player as a “little magician” on the ball and it’s clear that he adds to Sunderland’s threat going forward
As the season starts to draw out, you can see Roberts increasing his game time as his fitness increases whilst for most of his teammates, they’ll be getting tired at this point in the season.
Therefore, he could bee a crucial player for Sunderland as they aim to get in the attacking areas to break other teams down and get themselves results.
Ross Stewart remains key
With Sunderland needing to score goals and win games in order to secure their spot in the play-offs, Stewart has a key part to play in this push.
As it stands, Stewart is not only the top scorer in the league with 22 goals so far this season but is also 15 goals ahead of Nathan Broadhead who is the club’s second top scorer.
If Sunderland intend to score goals and have players like Roberts creating the chances for the side, there is no other answer than Stewart to guarantee these goals for Sunderland.
He has been a crucial player for them throughout this campaign and will continue to be one for the final run of the season.
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