The goalless draw against Doncaster Rovers on Friday night may have been a drab affair that highlighted a lack of quality amongst both sides, but the Black Cats did at least stretch their unbeaten run.Phil Parkinson’s team are now unbeaten in eight matches and were unfortunate not to pick up a win, with Chris Maguire and Duncan Watmore both coming close to scoring in the second half.Defensively the home side were very rigid and limited Rovers to few chances, but like the match against MK Dons previously there was a lack of real openings, as highlighted by Sunderland’s three shots on target compared to Rovers’ one.
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Some fans feel there is a need for greater quality in the final third, with Charlie Wyke, Lynden Gooch and Maguire unable to provide a breakthrough this time around.
That has led to calls for greater investment, and given new signing Kyle Lafferty had a minimal impact when he came on – making 14 touches in 20 minutes – it is clear to see that reinforcements could have a positive impact.
The striker is one of only two signings made so far, with Bailey Wright also coming in, but if Sunderland are to maintain their unbeaten run and challenge for the top two then they will need to avoid draws at home and may need more options in attack to do so.
Others discussed another point from the match, the fact that their opponents played well, particularly in defence, and that is reflected by their centre-back pairing of Joe Wright and Tom Anderson both picking up WhoScored ratings of above seven.
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Meanwhile, our team of Football FanCast writers have assessed whether a Sunderland transfer target would be a good addition for the club to make.