'It's not great' - Patrick Roberts opens up on frustrations of playing with no striker

Patrick Roberts has explained the difficulties Sunderland have faced due to playing so much of the season without a recognised striker.

With both Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms available at the start of the season, the striker position looked like one of strength for the Black Cats.

However, injuries blighted both earlier in the campaign and then, just as both returned and were scoring goals again, Simms was recalled by Everton and Stewart suffered a season-ending injury at Fulham.

That has left Sunderland using the likes of Alex Pritchard, Amad Diallo and Abdoullah Ba in a false nine position, but that has seen the home suffer with the opposition able to too easily hold a high line due to the lack of threat in behind.

"I think just having that presence at the top of the pitch, like if you need to release it like in the Middlesbrough game for us, I kind of knew where he would be,” Roberts explained in reference to Ross Stewart.

"These types of games when you have a striker and have got to know a striker and he's not there, it's not great and you have to play differently.

"Teams can come and do a job and know what you're going to do and you have to work harder.

"I think the last few games we've had do that more, work hard off the ball and just use our character and it's been a different dynamic.

"He's been a big miss this season, Ross, and hopefully he'll be back in pre-season and can go again."

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