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Adnan Januzaj is not good enough for Sunderland at this stage of his career

Sunderland's Adnan Januzaj warms up before the match (REUTERS)
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The Manchester United player is currently on loan at Sunderland.

When Adnan Januzaj joined Sunderland on loan from Manchester United in the summer it was hailed by many as a master-stroke by Black Cats boss David Moyes.

After all, he was the man who got the best out of the young midfielder, blooding him at Old Trafford and introducing him to the world in the process.

Sunderland's Adnan Januzaj warms up before the match

Under Moyes, Januzaj looked like a superstar in the making, before Louis van Gaal cast him aside and his successor Jose Mourinho opted not to include him in his first season’s plans.

So what could go wrong?

Well, a fair bit actually, with Januzaj simply not looking good enough for this Sunderland side.

That may be a bold statement, yet the simple fact is Sunderland’s two Premier League victories this season have come when Januzaj was sitting , unused, on the bench.

Sunderland's Adnan Januzaj in action with Middlesbrough's George Friend

His 11-minute cameo against Liverpool on Saturday did nothing to convince the doubters that he should be starting for the Black Cats, and when you consider the sum total of his time on the pitch has resulted in a single point, he looks unlikely to be more than a bit-part player in the months ahead.

There is no doubt Januzaj has innate talent, but he is not the right kind of player for a relegation battle, and even if Sunderland pull clear of the drop zone in the months ahead, why would Moyes then overlook those responsible in favour of the 21-year-old?

Januzaj has years to reach his full potential. However at this point in time he is simply not good enough for Sunderland, and that is something few would have envisaged when he first broke through at United.

Sunderland's Adnan Januzaj in action with Southampton's Cedric Soares