Sunderland’s right wing dilemma: Abdoullah Ba vs. Patrick Roberts!
Despite Roberts’ established quality, Abdoullah Ba is giving Tony Mowbray pause for thought.
Sunderland’s 3-1 victory over QPR on Saturday was a triumph for ‘real’ football.
It was a display of Tony Mowbray’s team in full flight, and it was noteworthy as a game that ended with many of our attacking players still on the pitch.
Mogga made a very beneficial substitute at the opening of the second half, replacing Niall Huggins with Patrick Roberts.
This meant that both of our right flank options were on the field at the same time, with Roberts on the inside of Abdoullah Ba. It demonstrated not only our amazing attacking depth, but also what we can do with the guys at our disposal.
It took Ba a bit to get going on a tiny pitch with QPR’s defenders closing in on him, but he eventually gained confidence and was a big part in our win in the second half.
Mowbray was effusive in his praise for Ba after the game, declaring that the right wing position is now his to lose. This implies that, with Roberts completely recovered, a fierce competition for the starting berth appears to be in the offing.
The pressure on Ba looked to be building as recently as earlier this season, which I always thought was unfair given his age, lack of playing time, and the fact that he was playing out of position.
However, he has put in the effort, and his stunning finish at QPR was a fitting reward for his ongoing development.
Aside from his football ability, Ba has actually seemed happier in recent weeks, and when the players came over to the away end at full time on Saturday, he was overjoyed to hear his name sung.
His brilliance as a player has consistently shined through, and we’ve seen glimpses of great talent, and he’s slowly but steadily beginning to make the step up.
At the outset of the season, it was clear that Roberts was the primary right flank option moving forward. He’s one of the greatest in the division, and even when he’s having a ‘bad day,’ it always feels like he’s about to pull something exceptional out of the bag.
However, Ba’s gradual growth provides Mowbray with additional options and possibly the opportunity to rotate when necessary throughout what will be another long season.
The option, albeit potentially overly aggressive, is to have both of these players on the field at the same moment.
We’ve seen it work, but it appears to be a genuine option only when facing a side that sits back and tries to absorb pressure. QPR were an outlier in this regard, but we’ll undoubtedly meet other clubs this season who don’t want to attack us.
Our assault was completely loaded throughout the second half on Saturday, with Alex Pritchard and Jobe Bellingham through the middle and Jack Clarke and then Adil Aouchiche on the left.
Looking ahead, if Mogga decides to play one of Roberts or Ba out wide, with the other likely on the bench, there will be fewer and fewer objections if performances remain consistent.
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