Sunderland boss Mike Dodds may have a decision to make over Luke O’Nien following the Championship defeat vs Blackburn Rovers.
Sunderland fans appear to be mourning the loss of what could’ve been a very promising season today.
After they exceeded expectations last time round, the bar was set high for this season, and it started relatively bright.
Under Tony Mowbray, the Black Cats were as competitive as ever.
But owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and co decided to sack Mowbray before the end of the year, kick-starting a calamity of mistakes which now has the Black Cats languishing in mid-table.
Michael Beale at Sunderland
Michael Beale replaced Mowbray.
But he lasted just 12 games, winning four and eventually being replaced by Dodds who has just one win in seven games in interim charge.
Easter Monday saw Sunderland lose 5-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers, just 48 hours after the club ended a seven-game winless run with a 2-0 win at Cardiff City.
Dodds let loose after the game, brandishing the performance as ‘unacceptable’ and revealing that he and the players were set for some harsh truths this week.
That aside, Dodds may have to look towards tactics and selection too, with one now long-term selection looking like it might need a change.
Luke O’Nien deployed as Sunderland centre-back
O’Nien is a midfielder by trade.
But since Sunderland’s return to the Championship, and the emerging theme of injuries within the side, O’Nien has played all over the pitch.
This season though has seen the 29-year-old play at centre-back throughout the campaign.
Sunderland lack players in this position and so O’Nien has partnered Dan Ballard for much of the season.
And at times he’s shone in that position; as a midfielder, O’Nien has the passing capability to start attacks from deep, and the leadership and determination qualities to compliment a very young squad.
But O’Nien earned a 4/10 rating from Sunderland Echo for his performance against Blackburn.
Mike Dodds facing O’Nien dilemma, but Pierre Ekwah could help solve it
Dodds said after the game vs Blackburn that no player deserved praise, and that he could’ve brought off every player after the hour mark.
But there’s a few players who stood out more than most as having poor games; O’Nien and the returning Patrick Roberts may be among those, but Pierre Ekwah is certainly among them.
Ekwah was once again criticised following another lax performance in the middle of the park.
He was arguably at fault for the third goal, but like with O’Nien at centre-back, there’s just too few options in the middle for Dodds to drop him.
But Ekwah and O’Nien’s poor form coinciding could be a good chance for Dodds to reinstate O’Nien into the midfield.
O’Nien has shown defensive quality this season and maybe returning to the midfield would give the Black Cats that bite and steel that they so desperately need in the middle of the park.
That then opens up a gap at centre-back.
We’ve seen Trai Hume play there and succeed before and when players return from injury, Hume could return to that position.
But it seems like a job for Kristjaan Speakman to address this summer, with a striker also a persistent priority.
There’s certainly work to do this summer and Dodds must do his best to set the tone for next season, and maybe changing O’Nien’s role in the side could help to turn the tide.