Marco Gabbiadini believes that Sunderland boss Michael Beale needs experienced players on his bench instead of players who have hardly kicked a ball.
The Sunderland hierarchy are focusing on bringing in young players and a number of experienced heads have been allowed to leave the club.
Despite being in the playoff race this season, Sunderland have found it difficult to find consistency in their form and they have failed to win two back-to-back games since early December.
The Black Cats suffered a 1-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town on Wednesday and Gabbiadini pointed out that Sunderland have an inexperienced bench.
Gabbiadini blames Sunderland’s recruitment policy for the lack of options at Beale’s disposal and thinks that the Black Cats bench is full of players who have hardly kicked a ball at professional level.
“That bench, you probably would not get near 100 league appearances between the whole bench, you may take Roberts out of there, possibly; that is what the manager is dealing with; where we ended up with this approach to player recruitment, that is how we ended up”, Gabbiadini said on BBC Radio Newcastle.
“If that manager had Gooch, Barnes, Evans and Embleton on the bench [on Wednesday], all four of them would have come on.
“I know I am harping on on the same subject, but that is the truth because managers want experienced players and instead we are putting lads on who have hardly kicked a football in a first-team match, hardly kicked a ball in their career.”
Sunderland are still one point short of the last playoff position and now it remains to be seen whether they will be able to finish in the top six at the end of the season.
