Tony Mowbray spells out Sunderland’s attacking pecking order ahead of Cardiff game

TONY MOWBRAY has confirmed that Mason Burstow currently tops the pecking order of Sunderland’s strikers – and is confident the Chelsea loanee will open his goalscoring account with the Black Cats soon.

Burstow joined Sunderland on a season-long loan from Stamford Bridge on deadline day at the end of last month, and has started the club’s last two matches against QPR and Blackburn Rovers.

He did not find the net in either of those games though, and finds himself facing strong competition from Luis Hemir, who was a summer signing from Benfica, and Nazariy Rusyn, who is now eligible for first-team duty after his visa finally came through.

Unlike last season, when Ross Stewart’s injury left Sunderland extremely short of attacking options, Mowbray finds himself with a number of different alternatives in the final third.

At this stage, however, Burstow remains at the head of the pack, meaning he is likely to retain his place in the starting side when Sunderland host Cardiff City this afternoon.

“I think he’s a bit further ahead because of his understanding of the English game,” said Mowbray, whose side will attempt to claim a fourth successive victory for the first time in his managerial reign today.

“With total respect to Hemir Semedo, I think the level of the Portuguese league he was playing at is so different. We do see him trying to implement what we want him to do. He could have scored a few goals, and it would have been much easier to put him on the pitch if he’d have taken his one-on-one at home to Southampton late on, or if he had scored his header late on against QPR.

“If he’d scored two or three goals, he’d be feeling much better about himself, I think. But at this moment, Burstow, really because of the work ethic he brings, the technical aspects he brings and the fact that he’s scored goals, I think he fits our team at the moment.

“But he still needs to learn with the advice he’s being given and not always run away from the ball. We need him to come to the ball and link play, but I’m pretty sure that first goal is not far away.”

Last season, Sunderland’s creative midfielders had to get used to playing without a natural centre-forward for long spells.

So, with that in mind, is it a case of Burstow having to learn how to play with his new team-mates? Or is it more that Sunderland’s midfielders and wide players have to get back used to playing with a natural number nine leading the line?

“I think it’s a bit of both,” said Mowbray. “I think we try to get control of a game, and sometimes we do that without playing with a striker to try to get us the ball and then flood the box when the ball gets out wide.

“He (Burstow) has to learn how to play with the team. Do we have to learn how to play with him? Well, I think we put enough balls into the box for him if he’s a natural goalscorer to find the space in the box to score the goals.

“We don’t want to change everything we do just because we’ve got a striker who can run in behind. We won’t be playing a lot of long balls, he has to drop in and knit the team together.

“He’s got the quality to do that, undoubtedly. I think it’s a good marriage and I think he’ll enjoy his time here and hopefully score goals. Every minute he’s on the pitch, he’ll be feeling how we try to work the ball to him. Once he gets up and running, I’m sure he’ll enjoy his time here.”