Simon Grayson could only dream of calling upon his former Preston favourite Jordan Hugill at Sunderland.
Sunderland spent just £1.2 million in the summer, less than any other side in the Championship. Therefore, it’s perhaps no surprise that they are fighting at the wrong end of the table.
The Black Cats produced arguably their strongest performance under Simon Grayson against his former club Preston North End on Saturday but were still forced to settle for a 2-2 draw that puts Sunderland second from bottom in the second tier table.
And they could only wish to call upon a striker of Jordan Hugill’s pedigree. It was his thumping volley that put Preston ahead at Deepdale, only for Aiden McGeady to cancel it out moments later.
However, Hugill’s goal was a moment of individual, game-changing class that so few of the players at Sunderland’s disposal appear capable of at the moment. The fact that Sunderland were so desperate to sign the strapping frontman in the summer only adds to the frustration.
According to the Chronicle, Grayson was priced out of a move for a striker who he got the best out of at Preston last season – despite Hugill handing in a transfer request to force a move that eventually did not come to fruition.
And while Hugill’s tally of three goals in 10 Championship starts this season hardly sets the world alight, he has still outscored Sunderland’s summer additions James Vaughan and Lewis Grabban.
If the Black Cats’ luck is to change, they need someone to step up and produce a moment of individual magic with the team so frequently failing to perform as a group. Fans will never know whether Hugill could have been that man.
The constraints of such a difficult job, meanwhile, may be dawning on Grayson.
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