Sunderland are in Championship action at the Stadium of Light once again as they prepare to welcome Plymouth Argyle to Wearside this afternoon.
The Black Cats have only won one of their last five matches in all competitions and will be hoping to return to winning ways against Ian Foster's side today.
Michael Beale must now work hard to get his team firing again over the coming weeks and months in order to push back up to the top six to secure play-off football.
Sunderland are currently eighth in the Championship table and one point behind Hull in sixth, although the Tigers have one game in hand over them.
The Black Cats were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough last time out and Beale must now make at least one change to the starting XI from that match, with Nazariy Rusyn coming in for Mason Burstow at the top end of the pitch.
He could form an exciting link-up with Jack Clarke in the final third and the Chelsea loanee should be ditched to the bench, as his performances have left a lot to be desired so far this season.
Mason Burstow's struggles this season
The 20-year-old marksman has struggled throughout the campaign and has not proven himself to be a reliable option up front for Beale, or Tony Mowbray before him.
Burstow arrived from the Premier League side as a player with potential, having scored ten goals in 25 Premier League 2 matches last term, but he is yet to realise that on the pitch for the Black Cats.
Minutes played
67
Shots
Zero
Touches
18
Key passes
One
Duels won
Zero
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the young talent struggled badly against Middlesbrough last weekend as he led the line for Sunderland on Teeside.
The English striker lost all six of his duels throughout the game and failed to register a single effort on goal, which sums up his season so far.
Burstow has made 15 appearances and started ten matches in the Championship so far this season and contributed with one goal, from 1.33 xG, and one assist, from 0.37 xA.
Across those 15 games, the Chelsea loanee has lost a staggering 73% of his duels. This suggests that he is a huge liability out of possession as opposition players have found it far too easy to get the better of him in physical contests on a regular basis.
The Sunderland number 11 currently ranks within the bottom 12% of Championship forwards this season for non-penalty goals (0.12) per 90, and the bottom 30% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.06) per 90.
These statistics show that the summer signing is below average as both a scorer and a creator of goals for his teammates among his positional peers.
His lack of consistent end product in front of goal also suggests that Burstow is not providing much in possession for the Black Cats to make up for his lightweight nature off the ball.
Why Sunderland must unleash Nazariy Rusyn
Beale must now ditch the Premier League loanee in order to unleash Rusyn through the middle of the pitch, after his impressive cameo last weekend.
The former Dynamo Kiev forward came on with 23 minutes left to play at the Riverside and secured a point for his team with a well-taken goal in the second half.
Jack Clarke switched the play over to the £9k-per-week dynamo and the substitute lashed a superb half-volley past Tom Glover to make it 1-1 on the day.
He also won two of his three (66%) ground duels off the bench, which meant that the Ukrainian whiz won more duels and registered more shots in 23 minutes than Burstow did in 67.
Appearances
14
Starts
Six
Goals
Two
xG
1.71
Assists
One
Duel success rate
51%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Rusyn has been directly involved in more goals (three) than the Chelsea youngster (two) despite having started four fewer matches in the Championship.
The electric 25-year-old speedster, who has three goals in three U21 matches for the club, currently ranks within the top 24% of forwards in the division for non-penalty goals (0.46) per 90, and the top 35% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.13) per 90 this season.
These statistics suggest that Rusyn, who has also held his own in physical contests with a duel success rate of 51%, could offer far more than Burstow in the final third.
Jack Clarke's brilliance this season
Beale must unleash the striker alongside Sunderland star Jack Clarke, who has proven he has the quality to be a difference-maker on a consistent basis.
The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster has been an outstanding performer for the Black Cats in the Championship this season, and is the perfect winger for a striker to play alongside as he can offer a constant threat as both a scorer and a creator.
Sofascore rating
7.80
1st
Goals
13
1st
Assists
Four
1st
Big chances created
11
1st
Key passes per game
2.5
1st
Dribbles completed per game
3.7
1st
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Clarke has been the main man for Beale and Mowbray with his sensational performances at the top end of the pitch, with a constant stream of goals, assists, chances created, and dribbles completed to drive his team up the table.
The English magician may be frustrated that his 11 'big chances' created and 7.49 xA has only been rewarded with four assists, as those statistics suggest that his teammates have let him down in front of goal in the Championship.
This is why Beale must unleash Rusyn from the start as the exciting marksman has outperformed his xG in the division, whilst Burstow has underperformed slightly, and could be the dream forward to make the most of Clarke's creativity, which is exactly what he did with his goal against Middlesbrough from the winger's assist.
Therefore, the head coach should ditch Burstow and unleash Rusyn and Clarke together in the final third against Plymouth at the Stadium of Light this afternoon.
