One Sunderland player has been told he has been the only ‘positive’ at the club in recent weeks.
Sunderland haven’t had much to cheer about recently, winning only two games since Mike Dodds took charge ten weeks ago.
The Black Cats have kept five clean sheets in their last eight games, but have also only managed to score four goals in that process.
They now have only one game of the campaign remaining and that has very little relevance other than deciding whether Sunderland could finish in 13th place or 16th place.
Sunderland’s usual stars have struggled to impress, with even Jack Clarke looking far from his best since returning from injury.
Dan Neil is sidelined until pre-season, while some fans have become frustrated with Luke O’Nien’s latest exploits on the pitch.
Journalist Phil Smith has claimed there has been one positive recently though, with Aji Alese‘s impact since coming back into the team catching the eye.
The defender has spent a majority of the last year on the sidelines, suffering three separate injuries last term that limited him to only 17 starts.
Alese remained out of action until New Year’s Day, but managed only two appearances before picking up another injury.
The 23-year-old then made his long-awaited comeback in the 0-0 draw with Bristol City earlier this month, and has now returned to the starting line-up in the last two outings.
Aji Alese has looked ‘sharp’ since returning from injury
Smith believes Alese has looked really ‘sharp’ since coming back and is one positive for Sunderland to be excited about.
Speaking on the Sunderland Echo YouTube channel, Smith said: “I’ll give you a positive that I think Aji Alese looks really strong. He’s made a good comeback from his injury, it doesn’t look to me that there is any issues after such a long absence out. He’s looking sharp, he’s making good challenges. I think he’s potentially got a big season ahead of him next year.”
The defender could play more centrally next season
Despite making such few appearances since joining the club, Alese earned himself a new contract last month.
The left-back has proven just how good he really is when he was been available to start, and he has looked to be a huge upgrade on both Callum Styles and Leo Hjelde when he has played on the left.
We have played him more centrally too, and his versatility in defence could be vital for us.
The return of Dennis Cirkin could potentially push Alese into central defence permanently, and I would have no qualms about that if it meant we could fit them both into the team.
Having both Cirkin and Alese back next season could completely transform our backline, but their injury proneness is a huge concern.
Handing Alese a new contract in the first place is a risk due to how often he is sidelined, but his pure talent probably makes it a risk worth taking.