Former Sunderland star Gary Bennett is of the view that the way Michael Beale picked the team in recent games, keeping strikers on the bench, shows that he agrees with Tony Mowbray that the Black Cats forwards are not ready.
Sunderland brought in a host of young strikers in the summer having let key and proven goal-getter Ross Stewart go, but former boss Mowbray failed to get them going.
In the last two games, Beale decided to keep the strikers on the bench and instead used midfielders as forwards.
Bennett believes that Beale’s team selection shows that he agrees with former Sunderland boss Mowbray that the strikers at their disposal are not ready.
The ex-Black Cats star also pointed out that the strikers will be questioning their purpose at the club if the midfielders keep getting picked ahead of them in the starting line-up.
When asked whether Beale’s team selection shows that he is agreeing with Mowbray that the strikers are not yet ready, Bennett said on BBC Radio Newcastle: “Yes, he agrees, with the way he is picking the team, is agreeing with him.
“What are we going to do with the strikers?
“That is the problem and you have to put yourself in that position as well.
“If you, as a striker, sit on the bench and then there are players who are midfield players, are coming ahead of you and you are not getting a game, then you are just thinking well, do you need to be here?”
Sunderland are set to take on Rotherham United on Friday and it remains to be seen whether Beale will give any of the new forwards an opportunity to impress.
