Sunderland winger Lynden Gooch has played 1289 minutes of football this term.
Sunderland’s League One schedule has become extremely hectic as of late, with Jack Ross’ side having recently played three matches in six days.
The Black Cats have played 22 matches this season and have lost just two, but last weekend’s performance against Wycombe Wanderers in the third-tier was worrying for the Wearside faithful.
One player who looks to be struggling with the hectic schedule which comes with playing football in the third division is Lynden Gooch – who has been excellent this term, but his performance last weekend was evidence of his fatigue.
Gooch has had an excellent season so far, scoring four goals and assisting his teammates on seven occasions – contributing to the former Premier League regulars’ impressive campaign so far.
But his lacklustre display against the Chairboys was tiresome and one which showed signs of a player who is burned out, with his sluggishness on the ball and inability to track runners throughout the 90 minutes.
Undoubtedly the Black Cats academy graduate is a player who is going to make a big difference this season – Gooch already deserves major credit considering he is just 22-years-old.
And even a rest for just one game, starting with Sunderland’s trip the Bescot Stadium on Saturday, could certainly benefit the title hopefuls and the player himself ahead of the well-known hectic winter campaign which is just around the corner.
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