The former Sunderland favourite believes the Mackems should be targeting 15 points from their next nine games.
Former Sunderland favourite Micky Gray believes his old side should be targeting 15 points from their next nine games and has named the XI he feels would achieve that target – provided everyone was fit.
Sunderland are the only side yet to win a Premier League fixture this season, and are already eight points from safety with barely a quarter of the campaign gone.
Michael Gray in action for Sunderland against Newcastle
New manager David Moyes has often relied on youth so far, with Jordan Pickford, Duncan Watmore and Lynden Gooch among those to have featured prominently. However, Gray told Talksport on Tuesday that now is the “wrong time to use kids.”
Instead, the 43-year-old believes that experienced players, who can restore a bit of “heart and passion”, are required from hereon in.
And here’s the XI he would like to see, lined up in a 3-5-2 formation:
Goalkeeper: Vito Mannone
Vito Mannone has been sidelined since August
Back three: Lamine Kone, Jack Rodwell, John O’Shea
Wing-backs: Billy Jones, Patrick van Aanholt
Central midfielders: Jan Kirchhoff, Lee Cattermole, Didier N’Dong
Forwards: Steven Pienaar, Jermain Defoe
Could you do better than Gray? Let us know your preferred XIs
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