The Roar: Cardiff win reaction and striker hunt latest
The Sunderland Echo's football writers Phil Smith, James Copley and Jason Jones discuss the team's Cardiff win.
They also take another look at the ongoing striker search.
They also take another look at the ongoing striker search.
Transcript
00:00I think people are sleeping on him a little bit of how good he actually is as 18 just because he's not Jude Bellingham.
00:06You know, I think Lebris is well aware that he can't rely on Mayenda for 46 games.
00:11He needs to be in understudy, he needs to drop in and out, he needs to come in for cup games.
00:30Hello, welcome to the Raw podcast brought to you by the Sunderland Depot.
00:34My name is Jason Jones, joined by James Copley and Phil Smith.
00:39Pleasure to see you boys.
00:41Good start of the season for Sunderland, I think it's fair to say.
00:442-0 win over Cardiff City in Regis Lebris's first competitive match at the club.
00:50It goes from Lugo 9 and Jack Clarke sealing all three points for the Black Cats on the road.
00:55Phil, you were at that match, I mean, how impressed were you with Solon's performance on Saturday?
01:02Yeah, I didn't quite know what to make of it actually.
01:06I still don't to an extent in that it was just a completely different game and performance to what I was expecting.
01:13From both teams, obviously, having watched Cardiff for the last couple of years,
01:17and you know, Sunderland fans will remember from the games, they've always been quite direct in the past.
01:23In Sunderland, we kind of thought we're going to be back to being like really possession-based, high-pressing.
01:28And actually, the game was the complete opposite, really.
01:30Cardiff dominated the ball, they dominated the territory.
01:33And, you know, Sunderland were, you know, sitting quite deep, counter-attacking, but they did it really well.
01:39So that was the sort of encouraging thing, was that they were really well-organized,
01:43they rode the waves of pressure when they came really well, didn't concede many chances.
01:48Patterson made one really good save early on from, I think it was Gutas,
01:51when he flicked a header back from across after a corner.
01:54So it was like a completely different game and performance to what I was expecting.
01:58It was disciplined, controlled, with a little bit of quality at the end.
02:04So encouraging, not what I expected.
02:07And it's going to be really interesting to see how the next few weeks of the season goes,
02:11because I still don't really feel like I have a handle on what Sunderland are going to look like under Le Brice.
02:16It's certainly not the game he was expecting, he was pretty clear with me that after.
02:19So it was encouraging, but not necessarily in the ways I thought was going to be going into it.
02:25I mean, there's got to be a certain amount of positivity, James, about the fact that Sunderland were able to,
02:31as Phil says, you know, concede so much possession.
02:33But first of all, keep Cardiff at arm's length, and second of all, still pick up three points.
02:37I mean, it kind of had the feeling of a game that maybe last season Sunderland wouldn't have won.
02:43Yeah, I think there were positives to take from the game, obviously.
02:46I think it's a real boost, isn't it, when you've got a new manager and you come in and he wins his first competitive game.
02:53There's a lot of boxes ticked off in that performance.
02:56First clean sheet, first couple of goals, first win, first away win.
02:59I don't think you can grumble too much.
03:01I think it's positive that perhaps Sunderland weren't allowed to play the game that they wanted to,
03:06yet they still managed to adapt on the pitch and find solutions.
03:09I think that's good.
03:11You know, Cardiff, for all of their possession, didn't really have too many clear-cut chances.
03:16I know Paterson, I think, maybe tipped one over the bar, but that was about it, really.
03:20So there was a lot of bluster.
03:21I thought Chris Willock actually looked really, really bright for Cardiff,
03:24but saying that, he didn't actually manage to create too much because Hulme did so well up against them.
03:30So I was pleased.
03:31It's always tough away from home in the Championship, especially travelling that long a distance.
03:36A little caveat is that probably Cardiff had a fair few first-team players out.
03:42But, yeah, very pleased.
03:44And I think it's always important to get that first win, isn't it?
03:48Because if Sunderland had lost that, there's more importance on the Preston game,
03:53which you may well play a second-string team in.
03:56If Sunderland didn't get a result on that,
03:57suddenly you're looking at Sheffield Wednesday at home in front of a big crowd
04:00and the pressure's maybe just starting to build a little bit, obviously,
04:04with what happened towards the back end of last season under Michael Beale and then Mike Dodds.
04:09So I think for Reggie Slabry, for the club, for the players as well, hugely important win.
04:15Hopefully they can build on it.
04:16And I just thought Sunderland looked refreshed and energised.
04:19And it was a nice reminder, actually, that, OK, yeah, some of these players are good
04:24and they've had a pre-season and they've had a break.
04:26And this is a decent squad with some shortcomings,
04:30but the players out on that pitch on Saturday afternoon are very good.
04:36Absolutely. And you mentioned positives there.
04:40Some really decent individual displays as well.
04:43I mean, to start with Joe Bellingham, for instance, Phil,
04:46I think it was what most chances created, most duels won, most tackles won.
04:50Obviously instrumental in that second goal for Jack Clarke as well.
04:54A really energetic and solid performance from the midfield.
05:00Yeah, I thought you really benefited when the game opened up a little bit late on,
05:04which I don't think is a huge surprise because what we know about Bellingham is that
05:09he's got an unbelievable work rate, he's tactically very intelligent
05:13and he can run for as long as you need him to.
05:16And I think you really saw in those last stages, as you quite rightly mentioned,
05:20the goal absolutely sums it up.
05:22Not only has he got the energy to get back and tackle Colwell,
05:26who was a sub, by the way, so he had the fresh legs,
05:28nick the ball off him and then go again.
05:30It's actually him who then picks the ball up and carries it to the edge of the box to feed Clarke.
05:34I thought he was excellent.
05:36Like I said, particularly the second half, I thought he was outstanding.
05:38First half, I thought he probably took a little bit of time to get into it,
05:41but I wouldn't be too critical of that because, to be honest,
05:44it wasn't quite working for Sunderland in the first half.
05:47So you don't expect your attacking individuals to shine in that scenario,
05:50as Lebris himself said afterwards.
05:52So I think me and James spoke a little bit after the Marseille game,
05:55wasn't it, James, where we said there's a lot of debate about Job.
05:58After that game, we really felt we could see why Lebris had picked him for that role
06:03and why he was backing him.
06:04Because when Sunderland do press high and win the ball back,
06:07he's the absolutely perfect player for that position.
06:10A, because he can do the pressing in the first place,
06:12but two, he is so decisive and athletic and quick in those positions
06:16where you win the ball back.
06:17So I felt encouraged after that game coming into the season.
06:20I felt he was in a good place.
06:22Now, as it happened, Sunderland didn't really get the high press going at all at Cardiff,
06:25but I thought in that second half when there was space on the break,
06:28the way he carried the ball and picked the passes to Clark, to Roberts,
06:31obviously it was Job's pass for Meander's chance that he...
06:35Well, it was a good save from the keeper,
06:36but obviously Meander should have scored as well.
06:38So I thought he was really... I was really encouraged.
06:40Like I say, after the Marseille game, I really felt I could see why
06:43he was being backed in that role.
06:45And, yeah, there were loads of good performances, I think.
06:48Obviously, I gave him a man to match in my ratings and stuff,
06:50Dana Serkin in every facet of the game was just excellent,
06:55especially when you consider it was actually his first competitive game for ages.
06:59And the other one that I just wanted to shout out,
07:00because it went under the radar at the time,
07:02and I should have given him more credit,
07:04I thought Eliezer, given that he hasn't actually played a lot of football at centre half,
07:08you know, one of the big things I think we were all a little bit worried about
07:11coming into the season was Dan Ballard's injury because of how good he is.
07:15But actually, Eliezer defended really well, especially in the second half.
07:19So there were loads of positives.
07:21Alan Brown just did what we hoped Alan Brown would do.
07:23Always in the right place.
07:25Dangerous cross comes into the box in the second half,
07:27there's Brown to hook it away.
07:29Bit of pressure, there's Brown making a run in the channel,
07:31you know, to give the player an option.
07:33Exactly what we hoped he'd be.
07:35So, yeah, I mean, I would like to see more in the coming weeks
07:38in terms of the all-round performance.
07:40But, yeah, there were positives all over the pitch,
07:42which was really nice to see.
07:44Just on your job point, Phil, I think you actually...
07:47You made this point a couple of weeks ago on the podcast,
07:49but if his name wasn't Bellingham,
07:51and he was Phil Smith from Highbarns who'd come through the academy
07:55and was playing for Sunderland at 18,
07:58I think he would almost be more beloved, wasn't he?
08:01I'm not saying he's not loved by Sunderland fans,
08:03because he clearly is, but he does seem to cop a little bit of criticism,
08:05perhaps because of the Birmingham City link,
08:07and obviously Speakman and Dodds.
08:09He's very much seen as their man.
08:11But in my opinion, he is very much there on merit,
08:14and that showed against Cardiff City.
08:16He was fantastic.
08:18A quiet first half, as you mentioned,
08:19but in the second half, he really grew into the game,
08:21progresses the ball so well.
08:23I think he could let it go a little bit earlier at times
08:25in the final pass, but I think that will come.
08:28But it was a brilliant performance,
08:30and that was borne out by the stats as well.
08:32He was top of the charts for most chances created.
08:35As you mentioned, the running he gets through,
08:37he never stops.
08:39For 18 years old, he's so impressive,
08:41and we're almost at a stage now
08:43where we're taking him for granted at 18 years old.
08:45It's crazy how good he is.
08:47Yeah, I think I agree with you.
08:49Or if he wasn't called Bellingham,
08:51would anyone even be talking about him?
08:53For me, as you mentioned there, James,
08:55I think it's the other way around.
08:57I think people are sleeping on him a little bit
08:59of how good he actually is as 18,
09:01just because he's not Jude Bellingham.
09:04Like you say, that's not to say he hasn't got improvement.
09:07Of course he has.
09:09He is a very different player, Pritchard, for example.
09:11I don't think he's going to create chances
09:13in the same way that Pritchard does.
09:15You know, picking passes in the final third
09:17and that little stuff.
09:19But I think he's unbelievably talented.
09:21My opinion is it's the other way around.
09:23I don't think he's getting the credit he probably deserves
09:25or the hype that is probably worth
09:27what he's actually doing at 18.
09:29And as I say,
09:31that's not to say that he's like the finished article,
09:33because he's clearly not.
09:35But I think he's going to have a massive season.
09:37I really do.
09:38Obviously you mentioned him there already, Phil,
09:40but I just want to speak about Dennis Serkin as well.
09:42Not just from his performance point of view,
09:44but just what he almost brings to Jack Clark's game as well.
09:48Just that extra dimension out on that left flank,
09:50a little bit more sort of natural support,
09:52the overlap and the sort of options for creativity
09:56that it allows Jack Clark.
09:59Yeah, I think that's a really big factor
10:01because, you know, it's hard enough to mark Clark
10:05and what teams generally are doing
10:06are putting two players on him.
10:08But that's really difficult when you've got
10:09a genuine left-footed left-back
10:11with good delivery who can go around the outside.
10:13And that is nobody's fault.
10:15Sunderland just didn't have that last season,
10:16and we talked about it loads.
10:17It was bad luck because we understood
10:19it was difficult from Sunderland's perspective
10:21because it's hard to sign another left-back
10:23when you've got two of, in theory,
10:25best in the league when fifth
10:26because you're just creating a logjam.
10:27But when they're both injured for most of the season,
10:29I mean, Sunderland suffered so much from it.
10:32And I think it's absolutely huge.
10:34And I think the other aspect is as well,
10:35which is really interesting
10:36because this is what Dan Neil was talking to us about
10:38after the match,
10:39is that there's a really nice balance there
10:40with Hume and Sirkin.
10:42Because as we've all seen,
10:43Hume can drift into midfield.
10:45He's really good in terms of using the ball.
10:47He picks nice passes.
10:48Sirkin's a lot more direct.
10:50He'll carry the ball.
10:51And actually in the first sort of 20 minutes,
10:53when Cardiff were probably on top,
10:54which to be fair, you'd expect
10:55as the first game of the season,
10:56they've got a big home crowd,
10:58you kind of expect them to go out the traps.
11:00Sirkin was really effective
11:01at just carrying the ball,
11:02carrying out with trouble,
11:04getting Sunderland up the pitch.
11:05And so I think the balance of the side is huge.
11:08And as you mentioned,
11:09I think it gives teams a lot to worry about
11:12because if they've only got two on Clarke
11:14and they're worried about Sirkin on the overlap,
11:16and then all of a sudden you've got Patrick Roberts
11:18coming back to form on the other flank,
11:20I think there are definite positives there.
11:21I'm really careful in terms of not getting too
11:24carried away with the win on Saturday
11:26because like I said,
11:27there was some elements of it
11:28that concerns probably a little bit too strong,
11:31but clearly I think the performance
11:33wasn't anywhere near complete.
11:35And when you've just seen
11:36what Sheffield Wednesday did on Sunday,
11:38you sort of have this thing of like,
11:39okay, we're going to have a much better idea
11:41of where this team is at,
11:42I think after the next couple of games.
11:44In a hypothetical sense,
11:46do you think that Jebison
11:47or someone of that ilk
11:49could be a smart side of Sunderland this week?
11:51There's a lot of anger that maybe
11:52these players aren't proven
11:53and Sunderland aren't going for what we need.
11:57It was Elisa Mayenda who got the nod
11:59as we expected him to on Saturday, James.
12:02I mean, did you see much from him
12:04in terms of, you know,
12:06he can be the man to certainly see Sunderland
12:09through this tricky period
12:10until they can bring a striker?
12:12I like him.
12:13He's very young.
12:15It wasn't, I would say,
12:17the best game that I've ever seen.
12:19I think it was a very good game.
12:21I think it was a very good game.
12:24I would say the best game
12:25that I've ever seen a Sunderland striker had.
12:27I thought he was competent.
12:28I thought he put himself around.
12:29He kept working,
12:30which is hugely important.
12:32He did sort of create a few little half chances
12:35for himself.
12:37One went really wide
12:38and then another was at the keeper,
12:40but that chance in the second half,
12:42if he could have just put that away,
12:44I think as a striker,
12:45you've got to score.
12:46Phil mentioned earlier,
12:47it was a reasonable save by the keeper.
12:49Reasonable is probably unfair, actually.
12:50It was a good save by the keeper,
12:51but I think as a striker,
12:52going through there,
12:53he wasn't under really any pressure
12:55from any defender,
12:57so he's got to put that away
12:59and it's such a shame,
13:00because if he does,
13:02we're almost in dreamland as Sunderland fans.
13:06I think Lebris is well aware
13:08that he can't rely on Mayenda for 46 games.
13:11He needs to be in understudy.
13:12He needs to drop in and out.
13:13He needs to come in for cup games,
13:1520 minutes.
13:16He's definitely got something.
13:17He's obviously really, really fast,
13:18which is good.
13:21I think his control is decent,
13:23so it's just match practice
13:24and it's been around that first-team squad.
13:28I think Job,
13:29who was playing the furthest forward
13:31of the midfield,
13:33they weren't really on the same wavelength
13:35at times,
13:36but I think that'll obviously come.
13:38It's just very early days
13:39in his Sunderland career.
13:41You do feel for the lad,
13:42in a sense,
13:43because he was signed
13:45as an 18-year-old
13:47and he wasn't really what Sunderland fans
13:49wanted or needed at the time,
13:51which isn't really through any fault of his own.
13:53Obviously, Sunderland would have seen him
13:54more as a developmental signing,
13:56but it's just so happened
13:58that Sunderland haven't since managed
14:00to get that experience
14:01straight to signing over the line.
14:02The thing I would say about Mayenda
14:03is I think he's a real talent
14:05and I definitely think Sunderland
14:06have got one there.
14:07There's aspects of his game
14:08that are already pretty good.
14:09I think his movement's half decent.
14:11We've seen at times
14:12he's got a really powerful shot.
14:14There's a lot to like about him.
14:16The bit about his game
14:17that I don't think I'm being unfair,
14:18I think the bit about his game
14:20that isn't yet
14:21a championship standard
14:23is hold-up play.
14:25At the moment,
14:26and that's not really a criticism,
14:27he's a 19-year-old lad
14:28and you're asking him to play
14:29against Callum Chambers
14:30with however many Premier League appearances
14:32and Gutas,
14:33who's a really imposing centre-half,
14:35he's just not ready to hold the ball up yet
14:37and to win those battles
14:38and get his back in
14:39and make it stick.
14:41I raise that because
14:43if he's going to play
14:44for the next couple of games
14:45while this striker drags on,
14:47then someone needs to make sure
14:49that they're using him properly
14:50because there were times in the game
14:52where they were inviting pressure
14:53on themselves
14:54because they were going along
14:55and, to me,
14:56they were under pressure
14:57and he's just not ready to do that yet
14:58and so the ball was just coming back
14:59and someone was getting pinned back.
15:01So I like Mienda.
15:03I don't really...
15:04Yes, he probably should have scored.
15:05Yes, this makes his game
15:06a bit better.
15:07I think there's positives
15:08to be taken from the progress
15:09he's already made in the year
15:11and I actually think
15:12he's got a bit of a part
15:13to play this season
15:14but definitely we saw
15:15that he's centre-forward
15:16but his centre-forward play
15:17isn't yet at championship standard.
15:19I wouldn't expect it to be
15:20so Sunderland either need
15:21to get that striker soon
15:23or it's something
15:24that in their reflections
15:25on that game
15:26they need to have a think about
15:27and need to work on
15:28because they're going to
15:29invite pressure
15:30if they're going to try
15:31and use him like a champion,
15:33like a key for Mo,
15:34which he definitely isn't yet.
15:37I mean, we also saw
15:39a brief cameo from Nasrussen
15:41coming off the bench.
15:43One of the things that Sunderland
15:44sort of became almost infamous for
15:45last season was rotating
15:46that centre-forward
15:47when it wasn't quite
15:48working for anybody
15:49and it felt like
15:50players were getting
15:51a couple of games
15:52and then dropping out of the team,
15:53getting three and then
15:54dropping out of the team.
15:55I mean, do you think that
15:56Le Bris will persist
15:57with Maénda
15:58or could you foresee
15:59a situation in which
16:00Nasrussen maybe is
16:02giving the nod against
16:03say a Burnley for instance?
16:05Yeah, I don't know.
16:06Yeah, it's hard.
16:07I think he'll stick
16:08with Maénda for now.
16:09I mean, Russen will play tonight
16:10so that's on reason
16:11to try and deliver something
16:13and put his...
16:14The thing is that
16:15I do quite like Russen
16:16as an impact sub
16:17at the moment.
16:19I think that fairly well
16:20seems to suit his game.
16:22He did it really well
16:23against Marseille, didn't he?
16:24He came on and won that penalty
16:25which was a really nice bit
16:26of centre-forward play
16:27and I thought actually
16:28he brought some
16:29fresh legs on Saturday
16:31and without doing anything
16:32huge in the game
16:33I actually thought he helped
16:34prevent him a bit.
16:35Well, he actually made
16:36a little run in the box
16:37for Clarke School
16:38just to create
16:39a tiny little bit of space.
16:40I mean, it wasn't
16:41really groundbreaking
16:42but it was a nice little run.
16:43Yeah, I thought
16:44it was...
16:45I thought the subs were good
16:46on Saturday
16:47if a little bit late.
16:48I was like
16:49in my head like screaming
16:50from about 55 minutes
16:51like, come on
16:52you need to change this
16:53you need to change this
16:54because it's, you know
16:55it's only going one way
16:56at the moment.
16:57It took a little bit longer
16:58to make the subs
16:59than I would have liked
17:00but I thought the two were good.
17:01I thought playing Rigg
17:02off the right
17:03in that game situation
17:04was a really, really good move
17:05because obviously
17:06he didn't want to take Job off
17:07because of, you know
17:08the athleticism he's got
17:09but I thought Rigg just
17:10picked up nice positions
17:11and did really well
17:12and I thought
17:13Roosan was a good sub.
17:14So at the moment
17:15I think
17:16and I would think
17:17it's a good thing
17:18if he just sticks
17:19with that little
17:20I think Neanderthal start
17:21and giving him a chance
17:22to build some rhythm
17:23but having Roosan
17:24as a bit of an impact sub
17:25I think is probably the way to go.
17:26Some pretty heated comments
17:28from French journalists
17:31over the weekend
17:32you know, perhaps suggesting
17:33that Sunderland
17:34aren't being serious
17:35about their valuation
17:37with their bids for Mendy.
17:38I mean, is there
17:39any sort of update
17:40on where the Blackhats
17:41stand with this
17:42or is this one
17:43that's just going to roll
17:44and roll and roll
17:45until it doesn't
17:46I suppose?
17:47Yeah, I think
17:48it's going to roll.
17:49Yeah, I think
17:50to be fair
17:51I think the one thing
17:52that's pretty obvious
17:53is that things have shifted a bit
17:54because of the takeover.
17:55I think, you know
17:56when I
17:57when the first broke
17:58during that game
17:59I think it was against
18:00Nottingham Forest, wasn't it?
18:01And I said like, look
18:02you know, the player
18:03might want the move
18:04and that's great
18:05but it's not done yet.
18:06Having said that
18:07you know, clearly
18:08there's been positive talks
18:09otherwise that story
18:10doesn't come out
18:11even if there was
18:12a lot of work to do.
18:13It does seem like
18:14the takeover of the club
18:15has pushed things
18:16backwards a little bit
18:17both in terms of
18:18just delaying it
18:19but obviously
18:20maybe the goalposts
18:21have moved a little bit as well.
18:22So I think that
18:23I think there's a bit
18:24of a game of chess
18:25at the moment going on
18:26whereas Sunderland
18:27don't want to move
18:28on anything
18:29and lose out
18:30on something else
18:31that they've got lined up
18:32and I think there's that
18:33really interesting question
18:34is that
18:35at what point
18:36do you just have to say
18:37we need to get this done
18:38and we just need to move
18:39on once some of these
18:40loan options that
18:41they're looking at.
18:42You know, we spoke to
18:43Labreze yesterday
18:44and he said
18:45you know, we are looking
18:46at Premier League loans
18:47as a possible avenue.
18:48I think it's fair to say
18:49that there's an added
18:50layer of complexity
18:51to that just because
18:52the Bursle thing
18:53did not work out
18:54last season
18:55and you know
18:56that proved to be
18:57more of a hindrance
18:58than a help really
18:59and you've got to be
19:00really, really careful
19:01if you go down
19:02that road again
19:03that you don't make
19:04the same mistake
19:05and assume that
19:06a strong record
19:07in under-21s football
19:08and under-20s
19:09plays really talented.
19:10So I think at the moment
19:11and I think
19:12maybe the slightly
19:13frenetic reporting
19:14that you're seeing
19:15about all these
19:16different kinds of plays
19:17I think that reflects
19:18the fact that
19:19there is a lot happening
19:20there are a lot of
19:21irons in the fire
19:22but Sunderland
19:23are sort of
19:24trying to be careful
19:25to not go too soon
19:26on one,
19:27miss out on the other.
19:28So yeah,
19:29I don't know
19:30I hope to be
19:31proved wrong
19:32but I think we've got
19:33a little bit of
19:34time to wait
19:35on that one still.
19:37I mean,
19:38you mentioned there
19:39all these names
19:40that have been thrown
19:41about potential
19:42loan signings
19:43and there's been
19:44a real flurry
19:45in recent days,
19:46James.
19:47I mean,
19:48one that sort of
19:49came and went
19:50within about 25 hours
19:51was Dane Scarlett.
19:52He's gone to Oxford United
19:53so Sunderland
19:54definitely aren't
19:55signing him.
19:56One that broke
19:57last night
19:58was Daniel Jefferson,
19:59Keith Downey
20:00from Sky
20:01suggesting that
20:02Sunderland
20:03are looking at
20:04the Bournemouth striker.
20:05That's obviously
20:06happening according
20:07to some sources.
20:08It's all very confusing
20:09at the moment
20:10but in a hypothetical
20:11sense,
20:12do you think that
20:13Jefferson or someone
20:14of that ilk
20:15could be a smart
20:16signing for Sunderland
20:17this summer?
20:18I think so.
20:19I think obviously
20:20when these links
20:21break and the type
20:22of profile these
20:23players are,
20:24obviously Scarlett
20:25and Jefferson
20:26don't have
20:27huge goal scoring
20:28records.
20:29The two players
20:30are in slightly
20:31different points
20:32in their careers
20:33but I'll come on
20:34to Sunderland
20:35and sort of
20:36going for
20:37what we need
20:38which is experience
20:39and somebody with
20:40a proven track record.
20:41I think actually
20:42what it shows to me
20:43is that they've got
20:44that Alexandre Mendy
20:45in the fire
20:46and they're probably
20:47trying to use
20:48the loan market
20:49as well.
20:50Now as Phil mentioned
20:51last podcast,
20:52they may run
20:53into difficulties
20:54with a player
20:55like Jefferson
20:56because if they're
20:57going to sign
20:58somebody like Mendy,
20:59can they guarantee
21:00Jefferson the game time?
21:01He's going to want
21:02a player.
21:03Jefferson might not
21:04be an option.
21:05I think where the
21:06Scarlett type
21:07player comes from
21:08is that understudy
21:09maybe.
21:10I hope whoever
21:11comes in is better
21:12during the Sunderland
21:13career but a
21:14Mason Burstow
21:15type profile
21:16sort of signing.
21:17So for me it actually
21:18obviously I'm
21:19frustrated with
21:20the lack of
21:21signing in that
21:22striking area
21:23but far from
21:24being frustrated
21:25I think for me
21:26it actually shows
21:27that they're looking
21:28possibly at two
21:29players in that
21:30position.
21:31Another name that's
21:32coming up is
21:33Will Langshir,
21:34a young Tottenham
21:35striker,
21:36very much sort of
21:37unproven at
21:38senior level.
21:39I mean is
21:40that a bit of a
21:41gamble to bring
21:42in a player like
21:43that?
21:44Should someone
21:45perhaps be looking
21:46for a player
21:47who's maybe had
21:48a year or two
21:49at EFL level
21:50already?
21:51Well again
21:52James raises a
21:53really good point
21:54and the thing I
21:55would stress again
21:56is it depends
21:57how much you
21:58need to do
21:59because if the
22:00squad stays the
22:01same,
22:02you're not
22:03going to
22:04see a
22:05lot of
22:06players
22:07in that
22:08type.
22:09Now if
22:10for example
22:11Clark was
22:12to go,
22:13if for
22:14example
22:15Heme
22:16was to
22:17go out
22:18on loan,
22:19Meander,
22:20now that's
22:21very unlikely
22:22at the
22:23moment because
22:24he's playing
22:25but let's
22:26say for
22:27Argument State
22:28you get a
22:29good loan
22:30and it's
22:31a good
22:32loan.
22:33I think
22:34what we're
22:35seeing at
22:36the moment
22:37is the
22:38reflection
22:39of the fact
22:40that Sundlund
22:41are trying to
22:42prepare for
22:43every scenario.
22:44One of
22:45those scenarios
22:46is that Clark
22:47stays,
22:48they have a
22:49settled team
22:50and they
22:51need to
22:52add an
22:53experience
22:54striker
22:55to that
22:56to a
22:57complete
22:58puzzle.
22:59be looking at purely through the prism of Sunderland need one striker, who's it's going to be.
23:03There's actually still a lot of variables between now and the end of the transfer window and it's
23:06Sunderland's job, it's the recruitment team's job, to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
23:11I think that's probably all we've got time for this week. Thanks for joining me, James and Phil,
23:16thank you for watching along of course. Luke and I and the Sunderland Echo for all things
23:20Sunderland and the Raw will be back next week. Plenty of reflection, plenty of analysis
23:25and hopefully some striking news as well, lads. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
23:31Well, I want to hold my breath.
23:55you