The head coach of the Black Cats should unleash this dynamic forward.
As they get ready to welcome Plymouth Argyle to Wearside this afternoon, Sunderland is back in Championship action at the Stadium of Light.
Against Ian Foster’s team today, the Black Cats, who have only triumphed in one of their previous five games across all competitions, will be looking to get back on track.
In the upcoming weeks and months, Michael Beale will need to put in a lot of effort to get his squad back on track if he wants to push back into the top six and guarantee play-off football.
Even though the Tigers still have one game remaining, Sunderland is currently eighth in the Championship table, one point behind Hull in sixth.
After Middlesbrough held the Black Cats to a 1-1 draw the previous time out, Beale is now required to make at least one alteration to the starting lineup from that game. At the top of the pitch, Nazariy Rusyn will replace Mason Burstow.
He might create a thrilling connection with Jack Clarke in the closing third, and the Chelsea loanee—whose performances have been lacking thus far this season—should be sent to the bench.
Mason Burstow’s struggle this season
The 20-year-old marksman has not shown himself to be a dependable up front option for Beale, nor Tony Mowbray before him, as he has battled throughout the year.
Burstow, who scored ten goals in 25 Premier League 2 games the previous season, was a promising player when he joined the Premier League team, but he hasn’t yet shown it on the field for the Black Cats.
The youthful player led Sunderland’s line on Teeside last weekend, but he suffered mightily against Middlesbrough.
The English striker’s season thus far has been summed up by the fact that he lost all six of his duels throughout the match and did not register a single effort on goal.
So far this season in the Championship, Burstow has made fifteen appearances, started ten games, and produced one goal.
The Chelsea loanee has dropped an astounding 73% of his duels in those 15 appearances. This indicates that he is a major liability while not in possession because opposing players have a habit of routinely outlasting him in physical confrontations.
As of right now, Sunderland’s number 11 is among the lowest scoring forwards in the Championship this season in both non-penalty goals (0.12) and expected assisted goals (0.06) per 90.
Based on statistical data, it can be inferred that the summer signing performs below average compared to his positional counterparts in terms of both goal scoring and goal creation.
Burstow’s lack of consistency in front of goal also raises the possibility that the Black Cats are not getting enough possession from him to offset his limited playmaking ability off the ball.
Why Sunderland ought to start 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. After Jack Clarke changed the play to the £9k-per-week dynamo, Tom Glover was caught off guard by the substitute’s incredible half-volley, which made the score 1-1 for the day.
The Ukrainian wizard also won two of his three ground duels after coming off the bench. This meant that in 23 minutes, he registered more shots and won more duels than Burstow did in 67.
Despite starting four fewer Championship games than the Chelsea youngster, Rusyn has been personally involved in three goals compared to the latter’s two.
With three goals in three U21 games for the team, the 25-year-old speedster is an electrifying player who is in the top 25 in the division for expected assisted goals this season and in the top 24 percent of forwards for non-penalty goals.
Jack Clarke on the other hand
Sunderland star Jack Clarke has shown he has what it takes to consistently be a difference-maker, therefore Beckel needs to unleash the striker alongside him.
The former Tottenham Hotspur kid has been a wonderful player for the Black Cats in the Championship this year. Because he can be a consistent threat to score goals and create opportunities, he is the ideal winger for a striker to play with.
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 has only been rewarded with four assists, those statistics suggest that his teammates have let him down in front of goal in the Championship.