Tony Mowbray: 'I genuinely don't think Sunderland need another striker in January'
Tony Mowbray has warned frustrated Sunderland fans not to automatically expect the club to sign a new striker in January.
Sunderland have just two senior strikers in the squad in Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms and both are currently absent with injury.
That has left the team noticeably short in attack and that has been highlighted even further by two goalless draws at the Stadium of Light this week.
However, whilst many consider the club to be now paying for a mistake in the transfer window, Mowbray has suggested the club do not necessarily see it that way.
“Do I think we absolutely have to bring in another striker in January? I genuinely don’t sit here and think so,” Mowbray said following the draw against Blackpool. “I think the squad is alright.
“Let’s not bring another striker in just for the sake of it, then when everybody’s fit, you’ve got three strikers, you’re playing 4-3-3 with one down the middle because your two wingers are brilliant and you want to keep them playing, and then you’ve got two strikers moaning in the background, getting annoyed because they’re not playing.
“If you play with one striker, why would you have three that all expect to play? It’s highlighted now because we’ve lost two of our strikers and, when we came, we were playing with two strikers up top and they’re both injured now.
“We started off playing 3-5-2, and the two at the top end are no longer there. We’re playing with two wingers at the moment and have decided to try to flood the box with attacking-midfield players.
“Somewhere along the line, do we need a centre-forward and might we play 4-3-3 or go back to 3-5-2? Possibly. But as a football coach, I think you’ve got to look at the players you’ve got and work on the system you’re going to play, mindful of the opposition’s system as well. You can’t worry too much about, ‘Should it be one striker or two’.”
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