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Jack Ross admits Sunderland have “frustrating” problem that needs work

Sunderland Manager Jack Ross during the Checkatrade Trophy Match between Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United U21's at the Stadium of Light on Janua...
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The Black Cats boss says his side’s consistency of delivery from set pieces is not good enough.

Sunderland Manager Jack Ross during the Checkatrade Trophy Match between Sunderland AFC and Newcastle United U21's at the Stadium of Light on January 08, 2019 in Sunderland, England.

Sunderland may be flying high in League One this season but manager Jack Ross has picked out one flaw in his side that he wants to get sorted.

The Black Cats are currently third in the table, one point behind second-placed Luton Town, but they have a game in hand on both the Hatters and top placed Portsmouth.

However, Ross says his side must improve the quality and consistency of their set pieces due to his players’ relative lack of height.

As noted by the Sunderland Echo, just five outfield players in the squad are above 6ft in height, and of those, only one – Charlie Wyke – is not a centre-back.

Ross admitted that first-team coach John Potter and assistant manager James Fowler have had a “frustrating” time as they do a lot of work on set pieces, but seemingly to little avail.

However, the Black Cats boss did also praise his side for scoring from two Chris Maguire corners in the Checkatrade Trophy win over Newcastle United Under-21s, outlining progress.

Sunderland manager, Jack Ross during the Checkatrade trophy match between Sunderland and Newcastle United U21 at Stadium of Light on January 8, 2019 in Sunderland, England.

“It’s been frustrating for John and James in particular, they do a lot of work on it,” Ross told the Sunderland Echo ahead of Saturday’s League One trip to Scunthorpe United.

“One of the factors is that we have a lot less height than other teams in the league. However our consistency of delivery hasn’t always been good enough. It has fluctuated. We’ve got a lot of technically good players in the squad, it’s just getting them to deliver on the money time after time.”

Over 45 thousand fans fill the Stadium during the Sky Bet League One match between Sunderland and Bradford City at Stadium of Light on December 26, 2018 in Sunderland, United Kingdom.