da aposte e ganhe： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da betsul： Sunderland are yet to keep a clean sheet so far this season, but the trip to Bolton this weekend represents the perfect chance to try and fix that.
What’s the word?
Seven games played, one goal scored, 23 conceded. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Bolton Wanderers are the whipping boys of League One.
For many sides, they simply represent the chance to rack up three points and move on to the next match. For Sunderland however, Jack Ross should seize the chance to mix things up at the back.
Whatever the Scot is currently doing, even he knows it isn’t working, and he should use what will likely be a routine win to try out a new system with three central defenders.
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On the chalkboard
Fans have been left fuming by the performances of summer recruit Conor McLaughlin, and the fact that midfielder Luke O’Nien was forced to play much of last season at right-back is evidence enough that the right side of the Black Cats’ defence is a major issue.
With three at the back however, Jordan Willis could use his excellent speed and ball-playing ability to play as a right-sided centre back, leaving whoever is deployed on the flank with less defensive responsibility.
Alim Ozturk has made a strong start to the season and would keep his place in the middle, while summer signing Joel Lynch, who has played both centre-back and left-back in the past, could fill in on the other side.
Not only is Lynch left-footed, his brief experience playing as a left-back would help him thrive in this hybrid role.
Further forward, the protection of having three centre-backs would allow for more technical, creative players in midfield, an area of the pitch where the Black Cats have struggled to create from, rather than stacking the middle with tough-tackling workhorses like Grant Leadbitter and George Dobson.
So, not only would this system protect the clean sheet, something the side simply hasn’t been able to do, it would also afford Ross the freedom to play more attack-minded players in the centre of the park, while simultaneously solving the right-back issue that has plagued the gaffer since his arrival.
With all due respect to Keith Hill’s Bolton side, Ross will never get an easier chance to be brave and try something new without too much of a risk of it backfiring.