Sunderland is currently going through a rough patch, having failed to win any of their last four Championship games. The team will be looking to turn things around when they face Norwich on Sunday.
The Black Cats have lost their last three league matches and are now six points short of the top six. They will need to improve their results and mount a positive run to keep their hopes of a play-off place alive.
Sunderland’s recent problem has been scoring goals, with Ross Stewart’s season-ending injury and Ellis Simms’ return to Everton leaving Joe Gelhardt as the only striker available. The team has only scored more than one goal once in their last seven games.
Their U21 side has been scoring goals, with Harry Gardiner recently impressing in the Premier League 2. The 19-year-old scored twice and forced an own goal in a 4-1 win against Stoke. He has now scored six goals in 10 Premier League 2 games this season, and six goals in 10 appearances for the U18s in the last campaign.
Journalist Josh Bunting praised Gardiner, saying he “regularly performs well” and “scores goals”. With Gelhardt struggling for form, it’s time for Tony Mowbray to give the youngster a chance to compete for a first-team spot.
Mowbray needs to promote Gardiner to see if he can replicate his youth achievements for the senior team. With Gelhardt missing three “big chances” and registering just one goal and one assist in his seven Championship appearances, the teenager could be a refreshing option and could become Sunderland’s “secret weapon” in the final stages of the season.
