Sunderland: Mowbray needs to let loose his adolescent “animal” in Neil’s place.
For the first time in the league, the Black Cats midfielder has to be let loose.
Sunderland will play again this afternoon as they travel outside of the Stadium of Light to face Stoke City after their break for the international break.
Tony Mowbray will face Alex Neil, the manager he took over in the Wearside dugout, and may be hoping to get the better of the Scotsman.
The Black Cats, who are fourth in the standings, have won five of their last seven games, which has helped them move into a playoff spot.
However, they lost to their nearby rivals Middlesbrough 4-0 at home just before the break and are coming into this game against the Potters with that loss under their belt.
Sam Greenwood, a former Sunderland academy prospect, scored as the away team dominated and claimed a convincing victory.
What recent Sunderland team news is there?
Prior to the game, the head coach of the Black Cats delivered the most recent information on health and injuries, and a number of players are expected to be sidelined.
Eliezer Mayenda and Dennis Cirkin are two players who won’t play because they are accelerating their individual recoveries. Although they are both expected to play for the U21 squad on Monday to regain their match fitness, they have both returned to first-team practice.
Additionally injured and expected to sit out for some time are Aji Alese and Timothee Pembele. While Mowbray has confirmed that the latter won’t be seen for another four weeks, the former may return in a week or two.
A position in midfield becomes available as Sunderland will also be missing central midfielder Dan Neil following his contentious red card against Boro last time out.
In light of this, the manager
must now, for the first time at the Championship level, unleash teenage ace Chris Rigg right away.
Why was Dan Neil dismissed in the Middlesbrough game?
The Sunderland academy alumnus was sent from the game for two first-half bookable offenses, the second of which occurred under questionable circumstances when the referee issued him a second yellow for dissent.
After the game, Mowbray disclosed that the referee assessor had visited his office to discuss the choice, and he implied that this was because he thought the match official had made a poor choice or had behaved aggressively.
The manager affirmed that Neil’s dissent stemmed from him waving his arms in protest at a decision made in a separate area of the field rather than using bad language or making any sort of abusive gestures toward the referee.
As the central midfielder serves his one-match suspension, Mowbray will now have to face Stoke without him, and Rigg might gain from that unhappy refereeing decision.
Will Rigg face Stoke at the start?
The Sunderland head coach might be audacious and give the jewel a great opportunity to impress today afternoon even though the 16-year-old powerhouse has yet to start a league game for the club.
He has already made four substitute appearances at Championship level and showed flashes of his potential against Southampton earlier this year.
In September, Rigg made his debut for the team and scored his first league goal against the Saints. Before sending a wonderful cross into the box, Jewison Bennette evaded many defenders.
The academy graduate also impressed in a start against Crewe in the EFL Cup earlier this term. Mowbray handed him a start in central midfield next to Dan Neil and the youngster grasped his opportunity.
He recorded a Sofascore rating of 8.2 and contributed on and off the ball. As per Sofascore, Rigg scored one goal, completed two dribbles, and won six of his ten duels. The talented ace also created two chances and enjoyed a pass completion rate of 91% over his 90 minutes on the pitch.
These statistics show the England prospect has the ability to impact games at both ends of the pitch with his ability to score goals and create chances, while also being a defensive force Outstanding ability to cut off enemy attacks.
The central midfielder, who scored 2 goals and provided 4 assists in 15 U18 matches with Sunderland, tried his luck on arrival, coming off the bench in the Championship and right from the start against Crewe.
This is why Mowbray must name him in his starting line-up for today’s match to give him the chance to take the next step in his development as a starter at the league level.
How has Neil performed this season?
The 21-year-old has had a good start to the season and has been an impressive player in the heart of the Black Cats’ midfield.
Neil has started all 11 of the club’s matches this season – which ends today – and has contributed two goals and two assists, as well as 1.5 key passes every match, according to Sofascore.
The British conductor succeeded in 90% of his passes and won 55% of his duels. This shows that the midfielder is a reliable passer in the middle of the field, and can also hold his own in physical duels against opponents.
Neil is a complete player, able to make an impact with and without possession, as the aforementioned statistics show, and that is why his absence is significant. could be a big blow for Sunderland in this clash with Stoke.
However, Rigg’s performance against Crewe in the EFL Cup suggests he has the potential to produce similar form this afternoon if he can translate that to Championship level over 90 minutes.
The talented genius has demonstrated the ability to create opportunities, while maintaining a high success rate and winning the majority of battles, to achieve his goals.
Now Mowbray must drop the 16-year-old ace, who he once described as an “animal” with a “wonderful” left foot, into his compatriot’s place from the start.
