This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Charlie Wyke returned to action against Gillingham last time out and though he couldn’t influence a positive result, his presence will have filled Phil Parkinson with a bit more hope.
On the chalkboard
The Sunderland boss was a little more daring with his team selection last weekend as he chose to partner Will Grigg with Marc McNulty, but the latter’s abysmal performance meant the attack showed little improvement.
Wyke replaced him on the hour and was a lot more involved, showing signs that he could be suited to playing alongside Grigg or leading the line by himself.
Parkinson has spoken previously about a desire to sign the striker while at Bolton, so he clearly rates the 27-year-old, and Wyke shares that respect too, suggesting that his manager’s style could get the best out of him.
Now he is back fit fans can expect him to feature more often, and his injection of energy to the Sunderland attack could be significant to turning around the team’s fortunes.
Boost for the squad
Sunderland have been in dire form in front of goal since Parkinson took over and that is mostly because of his reliance on Will Grigg, who simply doesn’t fit the side and has scored just one league goal as a result.
The Black Cats’ passing game isn’t good enough to provide the Northern Ireland international with goalscoring chances, particularly as midfield duo Max Power and George Dobson have averaged 0.4 and 0.3 key passes per game respectively.
Parkinson must alter his attacking approach, and bringing in Wyke could help to achieve that, as he often unsettles defenders with his physical presence and know-how.
He has proved effective at holding the ball up for Sunderland previously, and if that allows him to bring teammates into play in a dangerous position. then they can expect to deliver more than 13 goals in 12 games, which is the return since Parkinson took over.
Getting the best out of Grigg must remain Parkinson’s priority as he is still a fantastic player to have at this level, and if Wyke can help him find his shooting boots once again then he will be a huge lift for his manager and the rest of the team.
As things stand there is a complete lack of faith in Parkinson from the fans, and until he makes changes their view that he will never win promotion is unlikely to change.
