The 'unfortunate' Sunderland forward who has staked his claim and the key positions Phil Parkinson will be weighing up

WILL XHEMAJLI BE READY?

Parkinson will surely persist with Lee Burge, who made a bad error on Saturday but looked the club's most accomplished goalkeeper in pre-season.

Changes in defence do not look likely, either.

There were certainly some moments of concern in the first half, with a very quick Bristol Rovers frontline causing some problems.

Sunderland were able to take more control in the second half, though, and looked more like the secure unit we have come to expect.

Arbenit Xhemajli, though, will be pushing hard for selection.

This game came just too soon for him after playing 90 minutes against Aston Villa U21s, but his performances so far have suggested he has the talent to stake a claim.

REPLACING DOBSON

Sunderland may yet decide to appeal the red card shown to George Dobson in stoppage time, but Parkinson's post-match remarks suggested that it was probably unlikely.

Parkinson said Dobson had won the ball in his challenge on Jayden Mitchell-Lawson but also conceded that the nature of his challenge is often interpreted as a red.

On the one hand, replacing Dobson for the trip to Oxford United is a relatively straightforward task.

Josh Scowen was outstanding against Aston Villa U21s last Tuesday and also impressed in pre-season. Many hoped he would earn a place in the XI for the Bristol Rovers game and he is clearly at the head of the queue.

Yet his inclusion would also offer Parkinson a puzzle to solve.

The early games of the season have seen Dobson drop into a much deeper midfield role, with Max Power freed to go and play higher up the pitch.

That's a role which suits him well and though he started slowly on Saturday, he was excellent in the second half and came close to landing the winner.

Scowen, similarly, is a box-to-box midfielder who showed against Villa's youngsters that he is at his best with some freedom to surge forward.

If Parkinson is to persist with the current shape, and he has always wanted to protect the defence with one holding midfielder, then one of the two is going to have to curb their natural game to some extent.

This is perhaps one of the key reasons why Scowen missed out again yesterday, though in truth, Dobson too looked uncomfortable in a role that prioritises composure over industry.

Why also explains why Parkinson suggested after the game that he would consider Grant Leadbitter.

The more withdrawn role would suit the experienced midfielder, who has looked sharp his ince his return and was superb against Villa.

THE 'UNFORTUNATE' ATTACKING MIDFIELDER

Parkinson's shift from 3-4-3 to 3-5-2 has forced Lynden Gooch to the bench.

It's been one of the surprising developments of the early season, given how pivotal Gooch was to Parkinson turning around his tenure last season.

The attacking midfielder brought some much needed drive to Sunderland's play on Saturday, combining well with Denver Hume as Parkinson switched to 4-4-2.

Parkinson admitted aftewards that he had been 'unfortunate' to lose his place.

"Lynden is a good player who has been a bit unfortunate to find his way out of the team at the start of the season," Parkinson said.

"But it is only the start of the season.

"He's come off the bench today and made a difference, which is what we're going to need."

At the moment, the path into the side does not look an easy one for the 24-year-old. Aiden O'Brien was unable to make get himself on the scoresheet from a couple of half chances but has had a good start to the campaign and is at the heart of Parkinson's change of system.

Though Chris Maguire struggled in the first half, his equaliser was a firm reminder of why he almost always finds himseld in Parkinson's XI.

The awareness to drop into space in the box was superb, showing the clarity of thought that was missing from both sides for much of the contest.

The finish meanwhile, was exemplary, and more evidence to suggest that he is without doubt one of the best at the club in front of goal.

Gooch's chance will come, but you wonder if it may be just a little while yet.

He will, without a doubt, be a crucial figure on the bench until that point.

STRIKER

There were a couple of moments in this game that felt all too familiar.

One, early int he first half when Will Grigg made an excellent run into space on the right-hand side. Maguire's pass, though, was overhit and the chance was gone.

In the second half, Grigg was released off the shoulder by an excellent pass from Max Power. Rovers recovered on that occasion, but it was an excellent passage of play that was notable because Sunderland simply did not do it enough.

Grigg was taken off with much of the second half still to be played, Parkinson turning to Danny Graham and then Charlie Wyke in search of a goal.

Both better suited the way Sunderland were playing at the time, firing countless crosses into the box.

Graham looks to be pushing hard for a start but Sunderand surely need to persist with Grigg a little longer, and they certainly need to provide better service to him.

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