Sunderland can be a Championship ‘force’ next season – if they get their recruitment right
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Tony Mowbray believes Sunderland ‘can be a force’ in the Championship next season – as long as the club gets its recruitment right this summer. The Black Cats boss saw his side give leaders Burnley a run for their money at Turf Moor, coming away with a precious point from a goalless draw in Lancashire on a night when only the woodwork prevented the Wearsiders ending the Clarets’ unbeaten home record.
After the game, Mowbray admitted that his side’s biggest weakness has been their lack of a centre-forward for much of the season, with star man Ross Stewart absent for more than two-thirds of the campaign. But that is one area he expects the club to address over the close-season and, if they do, Sunderland will be all the stronger next season.
“I thought we defended well [against Burnley], we were good out of possession – we just needed that final pass, that last little bit,” said Mowbray. “We’ve spoken all season when we’ve been without Ross Stewart and said we’ve just lacked that little bit at the top end of the pitch that can punish teams.
READ MORE: Tony Mowbray on Sunderland’s recruitment system and where he fits into process
“We’ll hopefully resolve that in the transfer window at the end of the season and hopefully Ross will get himself fit and we can fill the team full of people who can score goals so we don’t have frustrating nights. I genuinely feel that if we get the recruitment right in the summer we can be a force in this league and give teams problems.”
Despite Sunderland’s lack of a striker, they had scored in each of their last 22 games until they came up against Burnley. But the Black Cats also became only the third team to keep a clean sheet in the league against the Clarets, and the first to do so at Turf Moor in almost a year with Manchester City the last team to achieve that feat a year ago tomorrow.
Sunderland’s draw against Burnley meant they stay 11th in the table, although that could change this afternoon when the remainder of the Championship programme takes place. Burnley extended their lead at the top of the table to 14 points, and they are now 17 points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough.
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