Sunderland have a pivotal run of fixtures in the coming weeks and it might be time for Simon Grayson to throw caution to the wind.
Sunderland’s cautious set-up is still not working. They are three points from safety after 12 games, amid a key run of fixtures.
The Black Cats face Brentford away and welcomed Bristol City and Bolton Wanderers to the Stadium of Light in their next three matches.
That is followed by a stretch up until Christmas in which Simon Grayson will take his side to Middlesbrough, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Sunderland simply must address their slump now, or risk being cut off completely from the rest of the table.
And so now is surely the time for Grayson to ditch the conservative tactics that continue to see Jonny Williams and Callum McManaman on the bench, while the struggling Lee Cattermole starts in the middle and George Honeyman retains a place out wide.
Sunderland have the players to outscore teams in this division – even with their modest striking options – but their tactics are currently preventing this from happening.
Grayson’s side need at least six points from the next three fixtures to give themselves a fighting chance in the coming months – and that requires them to end a horrible winless home run that stretches back to 2016.
The best way to do that might well be to try to blow teams away.
Lewis Grabban is back and, as only two teams have conceded more than Sunderland in the Championship, the alternative, more defensive system has not been working.
Here is how the Black Cats could line up with their best attacking players on the pitch:
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