'Clear lack of striker' - Twitter reacts as Sunderland feel pinch of Ross Stewart injury

Sunderland endured another frustrating 90 minutes in the Championship as they fell to a 2-1 defeat to Coventry City.

The performance was quite good in places - well, maybe not 'good' but certainly not bad either - but they lacked the cutting edge to make their dominance of the ball count.

It was one of those games that really highlighted the absence of Ross Stewart and that was how most fans on Twitter saw it after the game.

It’s going to be the way it is for the season now I https://t.co/fVvBm5MCI1 striker means no real chance of a come back in games we go behind in and that will be most of them from here. No referees prepared to protect brilliant footballers and we’re now very predictable.
— Mike Smith (@mikesmith145) February 25, 2023

Time for a change... Gelhardt is only so so..
no strikers next game 4-3-3 withe Clarke Amad Roberts up front
— retired_not_expired (@retired_not) February 25, 2023

Clear lack of striker, recruitment team failed in January. Had such a huge chance of play offs and threw it away, don’t think TM can do much more
— J (@belly19882) February 25, 2023

I think we need to understand that the rest of the season is going to be difficult without any out and out strikers. Coventry had a quality striker today and that was the difference.
— Yolobi (@conkenobi) February 25, 2023

At least the board have nearly got what they wanted. Mid table safety
— Steve30000 (@Steve300002) February 25, 2023

Not everyone was willing to lay the blame on the recruitment team's failure to get a striker, though.

Sunderland did a lot of over-playing around the box, and it understandably frustrated many.

Weak Physically. Too much Dallying on the ball. Not willing to take a risk in the final 3rd. Ben Wilson arguably had easiest game of his life as we just refused to shoot at times.
— Lee Armstrong (@LeeRoySAFC_) February 25, 2023

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