Lynden Gooch, Charis Mavrias and Thomas Robson must be wondering why they have not been given a chance.
Times may be tough for the Sunderland first-team at the moment, after getting pasted 6-2 by Everton in the Premier League at the weekend.
But for the under-21s it was a different story – they were doing the pasting.
The Sunderland under-21s one their tie with Leciester City this week 6-1 in an emphatic attacking performance which must have caught the eye of Sunderland’s new boss Sam Allardyce.
Sunderland had gone behind to Ben Chilwell’s opener but then ran rampant. Lynden Gooch scored a brace to add to Liam Agnew’s equaliser and Rees Greenwood scored to make it 4-1 at half-time. Forgotten man Charis Mavrias scored to make it 5-1 before Mikael Mandron put the icing on the cake for the side who are at the top end of the Under-21 Premier League table.
So should any of these stars get a first-team opportunity?
American youngster Gooch continued to impress in the game and it is a wonder why he has not been given a chance.
Mavrias cost Sunderland a fair bundle when he was signed in 2013 and the Greek international was exceptional against Leicester in yet another impressive turnout.
Greenwood is a fantastic and clever little forward who has a goal in him and has to be knocking on the door.
Meanwhile Mandron is a powerful striker who would suit Allardyce’s style of play and young defender Thomas Robson continues to impress.
That is five players that could certainly ask the question regarding a chance in the Sunderland first-team considering their current woes and the under-21s startling performances.
Surely at least one of them deserves a shot.
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