Assessing Sunderland's big Will Grigg dilemma and the January options available

Most encouragingly, they have produced three goals in the first half of their last two games, giving both Lincoln City and Wycombe Wanderers little to no chance of taking any points away from the Stadium of Light.

Their attacking statistics are excellent and have been transformed from the long winless run pre-christmas, when the Black Cats were persistently failing to create clear chances and test opposition goalkeepers.

Their expected goals are up, their shots tally is up significantly, as is their number of accurate crosses into the box.

A number of players are beginning to offer a regular regular threat, with Charlie Wyke, Lynden Gooch and Chris Maguire showing some of their best form in a Sunderland shirt.

One player notable for his absence, however, has been Will Grigg.

It leaves the Black Cats with a January dilemma….

THE BACKGROUND

One of Parkinson’s key messages when arriving on Wearside was that he had to find a way to get more goals from Grigg and Wyke.

He was clear in his inference that previous to his arrival, the service had not been right.

The new boss pointed out that most of Wyke’s goals would come from crosses into the box, something he clearly believed Sunderland were not doing enough.

An injury in that first game against Wycombe curtailed his progress but in recent weeks, the supply line has been improved.

He scored against Gareth Ainsworth’s side and could have had a hat-trick.

For Grigg, it has been more difficult.

The 4-0 win marked the fifth consecutive game that the striker has been an unused substitute.

Firmly behind Wyke in the pecking order, Parkinson has then turned to Marc McNulty when searching for fresh legs off the bench in advanced areas.

Hope had been high that Grigg had turned a corner in Parkinson’s second game, a 5-0 win over Tranmere Rovers.

It wasn’t just that Grigg had got on the scoresheet that boded well. His link-up play had been superb, dropping deep at the right times to join in with the build-up.

As Sunderland performances began to drastically decline, as did Grigg’s. In fairness to the striker, the two were clearly linked. The supply-line dried up completely, Grigg asked to try and thrive on service that was never suited to his skillset.

It was all about fight balls and playing with his back to goal, clearly not the recipe that had brought him so many goals in the past.

Parkinson admitted that he had urged the striker to think about his body language on the pitch.

The quality of Sunderland’s attacking play has improved significantly since those testing weeks around the festive period and they are far less direct than they have been.

Nevertheless, Wyke’s role as a traditional target man remains key.

Asked about Grigg’s future on Thursday, Parkinson was non-committal.

“Griggy has got to keep going, fighting for his place,” he said.

“Opportunities can come when you least expect them and when it does, he’s got to be ready to take it.

“He has got a good record after Christmas of getting goals, so he has to keep training well as he has been doing, and wait for his chance.”

So what happens next?

THE OPTIONS

The arrival of Kyle Lafferty looks set to push Grigg further down the pecking order.

The Northern Ireland international has rarely been prolific but offers a similar skillset to Wyke and will operate as cover for the 27-year-old, increasingly influential and central to Parkinson’s vision for the side.

It is expected that Parkinson will add another striker before the end of the month, one who is perhaps capable of also operating in one of the attacking midfield roles. Liam Boyce is the obvious candidate.

Such an addition would leave Parkinson well stocked up front and would likely lead to a rebalancing of the squad. That leaves the Black Cats with something of a dilemma.

Seemingly not central to Parkinson’s plans, Grigg would be an obvious candidate for a move, but the reality of the situation is complicated.

As it stands, there has not been interest from Championship clubs and so this does not seem to be a viable exit route should he depart. The most likely destination remains a fellow League One club, where despite his Sunderland struggles, his reputation remains intact on the back of regular success over a long period of time.

Blackpool have been credited with an interest in a loan swoop, but this raises a dilemma for Sunderland.

Firstly, it is well known that Sunderland paid a lofty fee in the dying embers of the last January window, Stewart Donald desperate to strengthen after the controversial departure of Josh Maja.

The Black Cats could not hope to make a sale without making a significant loss. A loan is perhaps more realistic but raises an even greater concern: What if Grigg finds his form?

It has not worked for him on Wearside but his quality in front of goal cannot be disputed, and Parkinson has regularly remarked on his outstanding finishing abilities on show in training. If a fresh start allowed him to rediscover that form, Sunderland could face the unpalatable prospect of watching him power a direct rival to the promotion places, as he has done so often before.

The options, then, feel limited.

Sunderland will perhaps hope above all else that the improving style of play, and the increase in chances created, may at some stage allow Grigg to be reintegrated into the side. Despite his lack of minutes, Grigg has drawn praise from both Parkinson and assistant Steve Parkin for his exemplary application and attitude through a testing period.

There is the potential for Marc McNulty’s loan to come to an end this month and that could be an easier solution to balance the squad.

Parkinson has admitted that could be considered if he strengthens as he hopes.

Grigg’s future seems harder to discern and it will be fascinating to see how it unfolds in the coming weeks.