'Sunderland lacking legs and leadership' - SAFC favourite delivers transfer message

Luke O’Nien has become a bit of a utility player.

He does a good job wherever he is asked to play, however that right wing-back is an area that needs to be strengthened.

O’Nien always gives 100% but he doesn’t look naturally comfortable playing on the wing and the team just doesn’t seem to have the right balance when he is playing there.

Conor McLaughlin hasn’t done enough yet to offer himself as the solution to the problem either.

The central midfield area is a little predictable.

Max Power, Grant Leadbitter and George Dobson are all players of similar style.

They seem more comfortable playing behind the ball.

None of them are comfortable making any runs beyond the forward lines and I feel opposing teams find it easy playing against them. This area is vital in

getting the best out of what is on paper, a potent forward line in this division.

We haven’t yet seen enough of Josh Scowen to really know if he is the answer but if Parkinson doesn’t fancy him then that is an area that needs looked at.

With Dobson now unavailable for Oxford, his red card on Saturday summed up an afternoon where not much went right for him. It could provide a chance for

Scowen to finally make an impact on the team.

Perhaps my first game optimism was a little premature, hopefully, it’ll be proved right against Oxford.

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