What is Sunderland's strongest back four?
Sunderland have had their squad tested to its limit this season due to injuries, and one thing that has done has prevented a settled back four from forming.
It seems like every game the defence is made up of who can play, not who Tony Mowbray might want to play.
That rotation will start again with Luke O’Nien now banned for three matches following his red card against Swansea.
However, let’s, just for a moment, imagine the unimaginable: a fully fit Sunderland squad. What would be the first choice Sunderland back four?
Right-back
Sunderland are arguably stronger in the right-back position than they are anywhere else on the pitch.
There are four players vying for that one spot, and we’d all probably be pretty comfortable with seeing any of them on the teamsheet.
You’d probably have to say that Trai Hume is the man in possession right now, even though Lynden Gooch played there for the majority of the Swansea Game.
Hume has earned the praise from Tony Mowbray this week and on current form he looks like he will be tough to displace.
The Northern Irishman has had to be patient, though, and that is down to Lynden Gooch. Ever since Gooch made what is presumably a permanent switch to full-back last season, he has performed exceptionally.
He has had problems with inconsistency in the past, but they appear to be behind him now.
Another player who could easily be in the mix there is Luke O’Nien. He has done well at centre-back, Swansea game aside, and he brings a lot to the Sunderland side in terms of character.
If he is muscled out of the central defensive positions, Tony Mowbray might shuffle him across to fullback instead.
Then there is always Niall Huggins, too. If Huggins had not suffered so much with injury, it’s very easy to imagine he would be near enough immovable in the right-back position by now.
He needs to get fit and stay fit before he does anything else, but I can’t help but feel we will have to wait until next season to see the best of Huggins.
Left-back
Things appear to be much more clear cut at left-back, where it is a straight(ish) fight between Dennis Cirkin and Aji Alese.
Cirkin made the position his own in League One, and he started this season in fine form too. Injury has hampered him since, though.
Alese, meanwhile, appeared to have been brought to the club as a centre-back option more than anything. At the time, Luke O’Nien didn’t really look to be in the picture for a central position and Alese played most of his football there for West Ham.
Interestingly, when both Cirkin and Alese were fit recently, Mowbray favoured the latter at left back. That, though, may have been due to a lack of height in the team generally
For me, though, Cirkin is the better full-back. He’s just that little bit more polished and complete, while Alese will likely be a centre-back long-term.
Again, there is the Niall Huggins option as well, and hopefully he will get some football between now and the end of the season too.
Centre-back
Sunderland have a really nice mix of centre-backs at the club now, which is credit to the work of the recruitment team.
There are five good options there. Of those five, three are very good athletes who are comfortable carrying the ball out of defence and the other two are grizzled experienced leaders and organisers.
For most, Dan Ballard and Danny Batth would be, on paper at least, the best pairing. They started the season as the first choice pairing, but injuries at different times means we have seen little of them together since.
That will likely now change due to Luke O’Nien being suspended for three games, though.
O’Nien himself has been exceptional in the position, although the red card against Swansea probably highlighted the downside with him. For all he brings undoubted energy and mobility to the position, he doesn’t offer an awful lot of calm authority.
As mentioned, Aji Alese will probably end up as a centre-back too, and a very good one at that. Right now if feels like he would be best-suited to the left of a back three, though. It still feels like he needs a little time before you’d trust him entirely in a two at Championship level.
Then, of course, there is the ever-reliable and ever-likable Bailey Wright. The Australian is a brilliant to have in reserve, but I’m not sure anyone would make the case for him being a starter if everyone was fit.
So what is Sunderland’s best defence?
I suppose only Tony Mowbray knows, if anyone, and we will all form our own opinion on it.
For me, though, and much as I would hate to leave Luke O’Nien out, I’d have to go with the following: RB: Hume, CB: Ballard, CB: Batth, LB: Cirkin.
It’s a nice problem to have though, right? Especially since three of those four, as well as Alese and Huggins, are only going to get better.
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