Inside Josh Scowen’s long-awaited league start: The story behind his Sunderland omission, how he fared and what comes next

Having been the subject of calls from supporters since the start of the season, Josh Scowen was finally handed a league start.

But how did he fare, why was he left out in the first place, and what comes next?

We take a look:

THE TELLING OPENING DAY CALL & A CHANGE IN SHAPE

As the team sheets landed on the opening day, Scowen’s omission was met with surprise from some quarters.

He was one of the standout performers in pre-season and had contributed to four goals in the comprehensive win over Aston Villa in the week prior to the Bristol Rovers game.

But Parkinson trusts in the partnerships he has seen built, and the duo of George Dobson and Max Power had largely served the manager well during his time at the club.

For that reason, it was no surprise that the pair were selected to start against the Gas.

But in subsequent games, with Dobson suspended, the decision wasn’t as clear-cut.

There is, however, a tactical reasoning at the heart of it all.

While Sunderland’s shape remains largely unchanged from that which served Parkinson well last season, there has been one noticeable tweak in the centre of the park.

In the early games of the campaign, Power has pushed higher up and is essentially playing parallel with Chris Maguire in behind the front two. The other midfield player - Dobson, as it was - is asked to sit in and provide an extra layer of protection for the back three.

Parkinson sees Scowen as playing in one of those two more advanced roles - and Leadbitter, therefore, was judged to be a safer option in front of the backline.

So Scowen had to wait for an opportunity.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

The absence of Power through injury handed Scowen the opportunity he – and supporters – had craved.

But he didn’t fully grasp the chance.

It was a fair showing – nothing more, nothing less – from the former QPR man who failed to make an impact in a sluggish opening period.

A positive start to the second half saw Scowen come into the game more, though - and he almost handed Sunderland the lead with a strike from the angle that came after a burst into the box.

There were other good moments too, but on the flip side, though, his set-piece deliveries failed to yield any chances and an early yellow card looked to have stifled some elements of his play.

SO WHAT NEXT?

That is now the crucial question.

Leadbitter has impressed since his return to the side and now looks to be in possession of the holding spot in front of the back three.

That essentially leaves Scowen battling Power and Dobson for the role alongside Maguire.

It would be a major surprise if Power did not return to the side once he returns to full fitness, but Parkinson made a point in his post-match press conference of saying he and his staff continued to keep a close eye on training to see who impressed and would take that into account when naming teams in coming weeks.

So it’s there where Scowen may have to do most of his work in the coming weeks to force his way back into contention.

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