Sunderland's Ross Stewart dilemma and a defensive solution as Rangers friendly is abandoned

Luke O’Nien opened the scoring from Alex Pritchard’s in-swinging corner, before the match was called off due to a power cut at Estadio Municipal de Albufeira.

Here are five takeaways from the match:

O’Nien still seen as a centre-back option

When the teamsheet was unveiled an hour before kick-off, it suggested O’Nien would be playing in a centre-back role.

It’s not a completely unfamiliar position for the 27-year-old, who regularly played at the back during the 2020/21 season, yet head coach Alex Neil has previously said he sees him as an attacking midfielder.

O’Nien produced a confident display in the left centre-back slot and was aggressive with his challenges, operating in a 4-2-3-1 formation alongside new signing Daniel Ballard.

While Ballard’s arrival has bolstered the squad’s defensive options, it still feels like Sunderland are a centre-back short, with Danny Batth and Bailey Wright also available.

O’Nien has shown he’s a viable option, though. His goal against Rangers capped off a fine 45-minute cameo.

A lack of alternatives for Stewart

Ross Stewart started all 49 League One fixtures last season, racking up a whopping 4,698 minutes of league football. Only goalkeeper David Stockdale (playing for Wycombe) received more game time in the third tier.

That was partly down to Stewart’s importance to Sunderland but also a lack of alternatives, which was evident once again here.

Stewart, 25, was given additional time off over the summer after being called up to the Scotland squad and making his international debut in June.

Neil may not have wanted to start his main striker against Rangers, yet he remains the only senior option at the club.

While Stewart is set to be a key player for Sunderland in the Championship, signing some back-up will be key this summer.

The Black Cats are still tracking Nathan Broadhead’s situation at Everton, following his impressive loan spell at the Stadium of Light last season, yet they may have to wait until later in the transfer window for a conclusion.

Sunderland are not only looking for signings who could play instead of Stewart, but also forwards who could play alongside him.

Neil keen to stick with his performed formation

While Neil often deployed a back three and wing-backs following his arrival at Sunderland in February, he predominantly set his sides up in a 4-2-3-1 system at former clubs Norwich and Preston.

That is also the formation the Scot used for Sunderland’s three play-off matches, when his team had gained more confidence and defensive security.

While Neil could revert to a back three, he now seems confident his side can operate effectively in his preferred shape.

Sunderland started with a 4-2-3-1 set-up against Rangers, which gave the team an organised structure while allowing them to press from the front.

Patrick Roberts, Alex Pritchard and Elliot Embleton rotated positions efficiently, while Dan Neil and Corry Evans backed up play in midfield.

Full-backs Dennis Cirkin and Trai Hume also made some forays forward, while goalkeeper Anthony Patterson was rarely tested.

It had been a promising 45 minutes until the game ended prematurely.

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