Creativity or clinical finishing? Assessing the cause of Sunderland's woes in front of goal as Phil Parkinson targets forward improvements

A Sunderland side, who had looked lacklustre in front of goal since the departure of talisman Josh Maja the previous winter, looked as if they were beginning to find their groove in front of goal.

Four goals were put past high-flying Wycombe, while Bristol Rovers and Rochdale were both on the end of some incisive and entertaining attacking displays.

Were Sunderland finally starting to find their feet in front of goal?

There were glimpses, but they proved to be just that.

As the League One season moved into what would prove its final month in March, familiar failings came back to haunt Sunderland. Goals suddenly became hard to come by.

It’s an area of real concern for supporters and, no doubt, Parkinson himself. How does he get Sunderland firing in front of goal once more? And why do the club struggle when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net?

The feeling among supporters boils down to two key points: Sunderland aren’t creative enough, and they aren’t clinical enough.

And the data suggests there is a great deal of truth to both elements of that statement.

Here, we take a look at the main causes of Sunderland’s attacking woes – and what can be done to reverse them:

Off the pace when compared to their promotion rivals

Using data from WyScout s.P.a, we’ve compared some of Sunderland’s key attacking statistics to those of Coventry City and Rotherham United – the two teams who were ultimately awarded automatic promotion from League One.

On face value, the stats show little difference between the sides. Rotherham United scored 61 goals in the third tier, while Sunderland and Coventry City both scored 48 apiece.

But a deeper delve highlights one of the Black Cats’ key issues – a lack of a cutting edge in front of goal.

While it splits opinion within the game, the expected goal (xG) statistic is a useful measure by which to determine how effective a team is in front of goal – and it certainly paints a clear picture when it comes to Sunderland.

Rotherham United’s xG for the 2019/21 season was 61.81, meaning they scored just 0.81 goals less than they were estimated too. Coventry, meanwhile, had an xG of 40.91 meaning they scored seven goals more than they were expected to.

Sunderland, in comparison, ended the season with an xG of 53.94 – scoring over five goals less than the data suggests they should have during the League One campaign.

There are undoubtedly many factors behind this, but what it does show is that the Black Cats spurned far more chances than their promotion rivals did.

Crosses = Chances

It’s a simple statement, but logic dictates that the more times you get the ball into the box then the more likely you are to have a shot on goal.

One notable improvement under Parkinson was the number of balls Sunderland got into the box – and indeed by the time the 2019/20 season drew to a close, they were averaging 18.17 crosses per game (a notable improvement).

It was a record far better than that of table-topping Coventry, who averaged 15.7 deliveries into the area per 90 minutes.

But getting the ball into the box is only one part of the equation, and it’s here where Sunderland fell down.

For only 29.5% of their deliveries actually met their intended target – a record bettered by both Coventry (30.6%) and Rotherham (33.9%).

It is also telling how few shots per game Sunderland had in comparison to their rivals.

The Black Cats averaged 10.57 shots per game, while Rotherham and Coventry were able to muster 11.92 and 11.26 respectively.

Now of course it’s not purely about the number of shots and crosses you have – after all, it only takes one successful shot to win a game 1-0.

But the fact of the matter is that Sunderland aren’t creating enough when compared to the leading teams in League One, making it more imperative that they bury the opportunities they do forge.

Right now, they aren’t doing that.

A glaring need for a goalscorer

So what does all this mean moving forward for Sunderland?

Simply put, improvements need to be made. And that’s both tactically and in terms of personnel.

There were enough positive signs to suggest that Parkinson’s 3-4-3 system is the way forward, but tweaks will have to be made to ensure that Sunderland offer more of a threat in the final third. With a full pre-season to work on shape, you would hope that this is an area that will be addressed.

But what’s apparent is that the Black Cats need a goalscorer, someone they can hang their hat on.

Last season, Coventry and Rotherham had Matt Godden and Freddie Ladapo respectively, who both netted 14 times in the league.

And while Sunderland saw Lynden Gooch and Chris Maguire post strong goal returns, they still don’t have that talisman.

For all Charlie Wyke brings to the side, he doesn’t look like the 20-goal striker that Sunderland need. Nor does Will Grigg, who has failed to hit the desired heights since his big-money arrival.

That therefore leaves Sunderland looking in the transfer market for a reliable goalscorer, which will be a tricky task given the introduction of the salary cap.

But we can’t forget about the lack of chances Sunderland are creating, too. There are enough potential playmakers in the squad - and now Phil Parkinson has to get them to perform on a consistent basis.

If they do, then the goals should follow.

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