#JusticeForHemir: What’s going on with Sunderland’s strikers this season?

This season has been frustrating. The fans have been subjected to multiple cock-ups including managerial disasters, fan favourites being sold for pittance, and just some below par football in general to name but a few. For me, however, one of the most frustrating issues has been that of Sunderland’s striker situation.

The Problem

The issue lies primarily in the fact that as a club we brought in four strikers back in the summer. For years we fans bemoaned a severe lack of financial input both from Short and then Donald and rightfully so because they were dark times for the club. However, what has followed has been a slightly questionable recruitment response from Speakman. I am slightly baffled by the striker situation at the club. Straight off the bat I will say that I find the acquisition of four new strikers very overkill. To me it makes little sense, especially when you consider the type of players we brought in. None of the four players have any experience in the Championship, Burstow played a season in League One (and two cameos for Chelsea too) but that is the closest any of them can claim to have come to playing a similar level. Furthermore, three of the four (Mayenda, Hemir, and Burstow) are all under the age of 21 and have barely played senior football in general.

Now it may seem that I just hate youth and would be much happier buying in old talent, but this really isn’t the case. I believe all four are talented and exciting prospects, but I think buying four such prospects is an issue. Having sold Ross Stewart in the summer, we had (arguably) two options: buy an experienced head to replace him or invest in youth to develop. Obviously, the latter was chosen. This is a very valid response to the issue. However, the club can be seen to have gone about it in the wrong way.

I reiterate, four strikers is overkill. Unless there is a clear plan on how these players will fit the system, there is the risk that all four players will inadvertently detriment the team’s development. This is what I believe has occurred at Sun’lun. We’ve had too many options. Here it’s very easy to say that these options were necessary considering the struggles our strike force has had this season. But is this really the case? As I said, all four are new to Championship football and all of them are still young players, it’s therefore unreasonable to suggest that we should have expected them to kick on immediately. Furthermore, it feels as if we’ve expected too much of them too soon, they need developing yet. But instead we’ve desperately interchanged all four at various points in the season just hoping for the best.

To me, it seems counterintuitive that we should chop and change which strikers play all season long. I see it as much more sensible that we stick to our guns and entrust a player (or two) with the striker role. Constantly changing the leading man after a goalless spell does little to help that player’s confidence and nor does it help the team in the long run, especially if the team is constantly having to adapt to different players and their capabilities.

The Solution?

To me, it makes more sense to give one player the responsibility (probably Rusyn) with another playing understudy (#justiceforHemir). Having options is no bad thing, it allows for competition. But this doesn’t mean that players need dropping after one or two bad showings. Allow the signings to settle and build form, after all you can’t score from the bench. I see it as a case where the recruitment and the playing staff almost need to ‘suck it up’ and just entrust in the youth. They’ve chosen players with potential over players with lots of experience, that potential needs to be allowed to grow.

With this in mind I believe that the end of this season allows for some hope that the lads can work something out. The club should look at Burstow as a sunk cost, he hasn’t lived up to expectations and it can safely be said that he simply won’t be part of the club’s plans next season. As a result, the club should plan ahead as such, get Hemir on the bench and leave Rusyn as the starter. The two need to acclimatise and the end of a disappointing season is arguably the best place to do that. There are fewer pressures and admittedly the run in is quite difficult, but that, in a sense, is what we want. Play them in the hardest games and get them used to the levels of the Championship. The worst that can happen is we realise that an experienced player is a necessity for next season whilst the best is that the next manager is given a selection headache. However, either way, we need consistency and now is the time to try and find it.