ON an evening where Sunderland drew blank for the second home game in a row, Tony Mowbray has urged Amad Diallo to ‘not just look good’ but ‘be good’.

The Ivorian was handed a start at the Stadium of Light against Blackpool last night as the lone striker. In the build up to the game, the Black Cats boss urged the Manchester United loanee to be more ruthless in the box when chances come.

However, he failed to heed the advice when a chance in the first half went begging. Amad found space in the box from a through ball but attempted to beat another defender instead of shooting before being crowded out.

“We need him to shoot more. It’s something I tell him every single day” said Mowbray. “It’s almost as if he wants to score a brilliant perfect goal. He faints to shoot, sits somebody down, skips passed the next one, faints to shoot and the goalie dives and he rolls it in the corner. We all then go ‘wow’.

“He’s in the middle the box on his favoured left foot ten yards out. He has just got to smash that in and he waits for the defender to come so he can skip passed him.”

While it is another point on the board for Sunderland, it’s the second home game in a row where they have drawn 0-0 after drawing blank against Preston North End at the weekend.

With Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms currently out of action for the foreseeable future, the Black Cats need a goalscorer in their side. Mowbray wants to the former Rangers loanee to be more confident when the chances arrive.

The Sunderland head coach added: “He has to learn and we have to keep telling him. Football is a game of repetition and trying to create good habits. He’s on that journey with us and probably why he is out on loan from his parent club because they need to teach the players if you get a chance in tight games at the top level, you have to take your chances. Not just look good, you have to be good.

“You’re judged by the stats, the goals, the assists. Not how many nutmegs or dribbles you have so he’s a young boy learning his trade. I think it’s good that he’s out there trying to do the job. He is a good finisher when he wants to be. He’s just a bit reluctant to pull the trigger.”