On the whistle: Your Sunderland questions answered on Chris Rigg decision and what's gone wrong of late

Sunderland fell to a fourth defeat in a row against Norwich City on Saturday afternoon and as ever, Phil Smith took your #onthewhistle questions and comments as part of our post-match video review.

You can see that video at the top of this article or over on our YouTube page.

A couple of days later and with a crucial game against Leicester City ahead, Phil has revisited the most common questions and talking points amongst supporters for this column...

Where is the next win coming from and should Sunderland fear a relegation battle?

Sunderland's form is hugely concerning and the concern is that there doesn't appear to be any immediate respite in terms of the key issues which are holding them back just now. None of the three head coaches to take charge over the course of this season have been able to get a consistent goal threat from last season's summer striker signings and injuries mean that the other key threats are currently sidelined.

With Jack Clarke out for around six weeks and Patrick Roberts not likely to be back until after the international break, there are no obvious solutions for Mike Dodds even if the return of Dan Ballard from suspension in defence is boost in the other box. Recent results and performances have highlighted a lack of squad depth, with no enough of the signings made over the last two windows capable of making a quick impact. One potential source of optimism is that over the last 18 months or so, this group have often performed well against strong opposition and they weren't far off getting something out of the trip to Leicester City earlier in the campaign.

Do I fear a relegation battle? I think Sunderland will get enough points to stave those fears off over the next couple of months, particularly given the sheer number of teams between the Black Cats and the bottom three. The return of some important players after the international break, particularly Patrick Roberts and hopefully Aji Alese, will help Dodds. But given their ongoing lack of creativity and cutting edge it's very difficult at this stage to see them staying in the top six, and that will be a bitterly disappointing result given the promise (even amidst some obvious challenges) of the first half of the season. It will leave some serious reflection to be done on how to improve the club's strategy as they prepare to make a vital head coach appointment and head into an equally important transfer window. Clarke's absence in the last two games has shown how much work needs to be done if he is indeed to depart this summer - and that will be an understandable concern for supporters.

What's happening with Chris Rigg and does his lack of playing time mean Sunderland could lose him?

There's a couple of aspects to this. On the one hand I'm surprised that Rigg hasn't featured more since his return from the U17 World Cup towards the end of last year and given the workload that's been placed on the three current midfield options, the case for freshening things up and giving him a go is pretty overwhelming, in my view. I do think that will happen very soon, though. Dodds says the statistics don't suggest Jobe Bellingham is in need of a rest but that he will make changes over the next couple of games.

Dodds has made clear in all of his recent press conferences that Rigg is very close to starting, and so I'd be very surprised if that does not happen before the end of the week. Perhaps it will be in that right win position he's done well in during last couple of substitute appearances, allowing for some more rotation in those positions with Clarke and Roberts absent.

On Rigg's future, he loves it at Sunderland and I think it's very much his preference to stay. That, of course, is dependent on him seeing a pathway to the side on a regular basis and so the next couple of months are going to be very important. I think, and very much hope, that we'll start to his see his playing time increase pretty quickly.

Was the squad overachieving under Mowbray or does the current tactical plan not suit it?

I think Mowbray overachieved in the first half of the season given the struggles up front but I think it's also very fair to add that he would have found it difficult without Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke and Alex Pritchard. Michael Beale's decision to try and tighten things up seemed to take a lot away from the side and while Dodds is yet to spark a turnaround, I do think availability has been a big factor.

As such, it goes back to the earlier point about recruitment and the fact that so few from the last few transfer windows have been able to work their way into the starting XI on a regular basis even if some have shown flashes of long-term promise. I think ultimately that whatever your view on Mowbray's tenure, the flawed process to replace him and the broader weaknesses in the squad across the second half of the season so far show some of the weaknesses in the strategy that had undoubtedly delivered a lot of progress.