Max Power shone against Accrington Stanley in the Carabao Cup but will he start Sunderland’s League One clash with Portsmouth at the Stadium of Light?
It is no coincidence that Sunderland produced their most impressive, creative, forceful performance of the season with Max Power at the heart of the midfield.
The Birkenhead-born 26-year-old was left out of the Black Cats’ opening League One fixtures, two déjà vu-inducing stalemates against Oxford and Ipswich Town, but his impact against Accrington in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night simply cannot be ignored.
Power controlled the game at Crown Ground, suffocating Accrington with his excellent passing range and setting up Marc McNulty’s first goal in Sunderland colours.
Surely the former Wigan Athletic enforcer, who arrived on Wearside in August 2018, is a shoo-in to start against Portsmouth on Saturday now.
Well, the Black Cats faithful seem to think so with the majority hoping to see Power included in a midfield alongside newcomer George Dobson. The technical if frequently ineffective Dylan McGeouch, it seems, would be dropped to the bench if the locals had their say.
The increasingly under-fire Ross has baffled supporters with his tactics in recent months, notably his preference for a 3-5-2 system which never suited the players at his disposal. But the former St Mirren boss can silence the doubters for an hour at least by including Power on his team-sheet at 2:00pm on Saturday.
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