Sunderland could’ve beat Norwich if one star was axed from the game quicker

Sunderland are nonetheless but to select up a single level since Mike Dodds took again the reins as interim Black Cats boss, with Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Norwich Metropolis simply one other crushing blow in a shambolic season.

Josh Sargent would break Sunderland hearts within the closing ten minutes at Carrow Highway, the scientific American striker powering residence with ice in his veins after an extended ball into the Black Cats’ field had brought on widespread panic.

Now onto 16 defeats within the Championship, Dodds’ facet are crying out for an attacker of Sargent’s ilk to guide the road on the Stadium of Gentle with this striker particularly letting the abysmal Black Cats down on their travels yesterday.

Luis Semedo’s efficiency vs Sunderland in numbers

Younger Portuguese summer time recruit Luis Semedo can be handed simply his second begin of the season in opposition to the Canaries, a personnel resolution by Dodds that simply did not work when viewing the 20-year-old’s lacklustre exhibiting.

The previous Benfica prodigy would solely muster up 12 touches of the ball from his 66 minutes on the Carrow Highway turf, slicing an remoted determine in Norfolk in consequence.

Unable to register a single shot on Angus Gunn’s aim additionally, Semedo was unsurprisingly hauled off by Dodds for different attackers to get their second to shine late on within the second half.

It wasn’t an actual shock to see Semedo’s poor efficiency obtain scathing criticism within the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat due to this fact, with BBC Sport Tyne and Put on pundit Gary Bennett laying into the out-of-sorts striker on commentary duties.

He said that Semedo regarded “misplaced”in opposition to David Wagner’s hosts, Bennett was additionally unimpressed by the teenager’s dedication to the trigger – additional lambasting the 20-year-old for “simply jogging about” at factors.

Dodds, looking back, would possibly effectively have stored the ex-Benfica sensation on the pitch for much too lengthy to the general detriment of his facet.

As a substitute, if the interim Black Cats boss had simply launched Nazariy Rusyn into the competition faster, Sunderland might have unsettled Norwich much more and stood extra of an opportunity at choosing up a giant three factors.

Nazariy Rusyn’s efficiency vs Norwich in numbers

Rusyn was much more harmful going ahead from his brief cameo in opposition to Norwich than Semedo managed from a forgettable 66 minutes, managing to fireside two on-target efforts at Gunn’s web from solely 24 minutes performed.

A type of alternatives would go down as a giant probability missed, the Ukrainian attacker much more of a nuisance for Norwich to include than the passive Semedo.

Over the course of a full match, Rusyn would possibly effectively have been too difficult for the Canaries to thwart with Dodds then observing extra factors on the board than one other unwelcome zero.

Successful 100% of his duels at Carrow Highway too, the 25-year-old might effectively be in line to begin Sunderland’s subsequent Championship conflict in opposition to Leicester Metropolis to try to unsettle the Foxes who’re faltering on the prime of the division.

The Black Cats are experiencing a far worse wobble than Enzo Maresca’s league leaders, nonetheless, with Dodds simply making an attempt to piece collectively presently what his finest XI is.

Wanting on the 1-0 defeat on the street at Norwich, Semedo must be axed for Rusyn to guide the road on Tuesday night time in a single change Dodds will take into account.