October 18, 2022. Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray acknowledges fans.
Joe Nicholson believes Sunderland’s January signing Pierre Ekwah is not far away from being handed his first start.
The Lowdown: Sunderland’s young stars are impressing
Sunderland are currently enjoying a stunning first season back in the Championship sitting just one point off the play-offs while boasting the youngest squad on average in the division.
It’s not just the fact that they have a whole load of inexperienced players, but also the act that Tony Mowbray has had to play the majority of this season without star striker Ross Stewart who’s picked up two rather serious injuries.
The club have had a clear strategy in the transfer market of buying young players that may feel they’ve got a point to prove in the form of Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke, loanee Joe Gelhardt and Ekwah.
The Latest: Ekwah still looking to make an impact
Having been brought in from West Ham last month, Ekwah will have hoped for more opportunities at the Stadium of Light but Nicholson has claimed on The Roar podcast that starts may just be around the corner for the youngster.
He said: “I don’t think Ekwah is too far away, he came on at QPR and did quite well. He’s got that kind of physicality about him and maybe a bit of a surprise he didn’t come on [against Rotherham]; we saw Pritchard drop a bit further back in midfield when Mowbray made the substitutions.
“I definitely think we’ll see him start a game or a couple of games before the end of the season.”
The Verdict: Mowbray must manage his squad carefully
As showcased on Tuesday night, Mowbray does indeed have to manage his squad as they’re still very young and could easily burnout if not afforded sufficient rest and while that could come to the detriment of the club – as it did against Rotherham when Roberts was dropped – it will benefit them in the long-term.
Therefore, Mowbray allowing Ekwah time to settle into his new surroundings having moved up from London at a young age before thrusting him into the bright lights of Wearside is good management.
Ekwah will be hopeful of making an impact this season at Sunderland and showing both why the club signed him on a permanent basis and how his ‘all-action‘ nature can only benefit the Black cats in their push for the play-offs.
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