WITH the transfer window due to reopen in just over a week’s time, Lee Johnson will be pondering which areas of his squad require improvement for the second half of the season.
What are the big decisions facing the Sunderland head coach? And what should he do once the January sales begin?
ATTACKING OPTIONS
Nathan Broadhead’s latest injury setback could not have come at a worse time for either the striker or Sunderland. The full extent of his hamstring problem will be determined by a series of scans, but the initial prognosis is not good, with the Everton loanee expected to be sidelined for at least a month.
Broadhead’s goal at Arsenal on Tuesday made it five in his last four matches, and Sunderland’s goal threat has increased significantly since Johnson paired the youngster with Ross Stewart in a front two.
It is hard to see how he can stick with same formation now. Aiden O’Brien is not really a like-for-like replacement for Stewart as he tends to be most effective operating in a wide-attacking role, and while Benji Kimpioka has shown promise, is he really ready for League One?
If Johnson wants to continue playing two central strikers alongside each other, he will have to sign another forward next month. That might well be easier said than done, especially if he is looking for a proven Football League marksman rather than an inexperienced youngster seeking a loan from the Premier League.
FULL-BACK ISSUES
Sunderland have been short of full-backs all season, although to this point, Johnson has just about been able to muddle through. It is easier to put square pegs into round holes if you are playing with three centre-halves and wing-backs, but if Johnson does want to return to a flat back four for the second half of the season, the wing-back situation will become more acute.
Left-back is not too much of an issue now Denver Hume and Dennis Cirkin are back in the first-team fold. Indeed, if the pair can stay fit for the remainder of the campaign, Sunderland will be blessed with two of the best left-backs in League One.
Right-back remains a problem area though, with Carl Winchester still the best option even though, as he has proved in recent weeks, his optimal position remains midfield. Asking Bailey Wright to shuffle across and fill in at full-back is not a long-term fix.
While Johnson also has issues at centre-half – Frederik Alves will probably need to be replaced if, as looks likely, he returns to West Ham – his key defensive priority next month should be the recruitment of a right-back.
RECALLING LOANEES
While the rest of the Sunderland squad have been battling in League One, a couple of the club’s players have been catching the eye in League Two.
Jack Diamond has been in excellent form for Harrogate since rejoining the North Yorkshire club on loan, making 22 starts in all competitions and scoring six goals.
There is a clause in his loan deal that would enable Sunderland to recall him next month, but Johnson must weigh up a couple of competing demands. Would the Black Cats benefit from having an in-form Diamond back in the ranks? Or, with Elliot Embleton and Dan Neil competing in the same position, would it be better for Diamond to remain at Harrogate where he is guaranteed regular football?
Josh Hawkes has spent the first half of the campaign with Tranmere, making 13 starts and three substitute appearances. Would he be a useful option from the bench in the second half of the season? Or would a recall stunt his development?
POTENTIAL OFFERS
Johnson will not want to lose any of his leading lights next month – but what would Kyril Louis-Dreyfus’ stance be if he was to receive a lucrative offer for a first teamer?
For the first time in a while, Sunderland boast a number of potentially saleable assets. Neil and Embleton have certainly been well watched in the first half of the season, with the former in particular known to be on the radar of a number of Championship clubs.
Ross Stewart’s attacking performances have also not gone unnoticed – most notably by Scotland’s national team – and it would not be a surprise if a Championship side was to make an approach for the striker.
Would Johnson have the final say in such a situation? Or would Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman take the decision out of the head coach’s hands?
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