As Sunderland head to Ipswich in search of a rare win, Simon Grayson must be looking at a return to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
And so here we go again. Sunderland’s winless run in the Championship was extended to seven matches on Saturday with another dismal home defeat.
There were brief moments of positivity for the Black Cats against Cardiff City – not least Lynden Gooch’s effort to win and convert a penalty – but Simon Grayson’s men were ultimately left in the bottom three.
However, although Sunderland now head into a pair of tough fixtures – at Ipswich Town and at Preston North End – they have lost just once away this season and will hope for positive results.
The first change against Ipswich will surely see a return to the 4-2-3-1 formation used earlier in the season, with the five-man defence blatantly not working against Cardiff and causing Grayson to make a slightly chaotic mid-game change.
That switch would most likely see Tyias Browning drop out of the defence, with Lamine Kone unlikely to suffer despite a poor performance.
Perhaps Sunderland’s biggest blow ahead of the Cardiff game was to see Callum McManaman and Jonny Williams sit out through injury, but they were at least able to welcome Aiden McGeady back to the bench.
Even if the former Everton man is fit to start, though, that should not see Gooch miss out and he could well continue to benefit if McManaman and Williams are unavailable.
Up front, Sunderland desperately need James Vaughan to hit a run of form.
How Sunderland could line up against Ipswich:
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