Inside Carl Winchester's full Sunderland debut: How he fared and what the data suggests

Carl Winchester’s first Sunderland start was probably far from what he envisaged – as difficult conditions and a 2-1 defeat to Plymouth Argyle made it an evening to forget on most counts.

But the game did give us an opportunity to get a meaningful look at Lee Johnson’s first signing, as he played 80 minutes in the reverse.

So how did he perform on his first start? We take a look:

The Key Moments

Sunderland once again played the 4-2-2-2 shape that they employed against both Port Vale and AFC Wimbledon over the last week, with Winchester playing as one of the two deeper midfielders alongside Josh Scowen.

It was a low-key start for the Black Cats and the same can be said for Winchester, who struggled to make a real impact on the game in the early stages.

Indeed, his only stand-out involvement in the early stages of the game was picking-up a yellow card for a mis-timed challenge.

But as Sunderland grew into the game so did Winchester – and while he didn’t have a defining impact on the game, he played a crucial role in helping to drive the hosts forward as they looked to get back into the game.

His height proved useful given the amount of time the ball spent in the air, while he was tidy enough on the ground too. Winchester showed some neat technical ability to weave away from his markers from precision, and kept things simple in possession.

He obviously has an eye for a pass, as shown when he picked-out Callum McFadzean in the build-up to Sunderland’s goal.

Winchester’s on the ball work was good, but it's his off the ball work that perhaps suggests why Johnson brought him to Wearside.

He pressed well, and showed athleticism to get up and down the field – regularly being one of the bodies in the box that Johnson craves. He was also among the leaders in the side in terms of winning the ball back and then kick-starting attacks.

What The Data Said

So what does the data suggest about Winchester’s performance?

Using WyScout, we’ve picked out some of the key data from the midfielder’s first start:

PASSING – Winchester completed 85 per cent of his attempted passes, which was slightly higher than the team average of 80.61%. Interestingly, only one of the 35 passes attempted by the midfielder was defined as ‘long’, suggesting he’s certainly one who is going to keep things simple in the engine room.

REGAINING POSSESSION – This was one area where Winchester seemed to excel. He recovered the ball five times and won two-thirds of his aerial duels, helping to break-up Plymouth attacks before sending the team forward. It may not be the most glamorous job, but it’s key to any successful side.

IN THE FINAL THIRD – Winchester didn’t manage to make much of an impact in this department, having mustered no shots on goal and just one cross – which was unsuccessful. This is one key area that Johnson will be keen to see the midfielder have more of an impact on in the coming weeks.

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