Sunderland experienced a nightmare weekend in the Championship, losing 2-0 away at Plymouth Argyle after a lengthy journey down from Durham to Devon on Saturday was already a kick in the teeth.
West Brom then picked up a statement 2-0 win over Ipswich Town later in the day at the expense of Tony Mowbray’s downbeat Black Cats, pilling on the misery even more, leapfrogging Sunderland to fifth spot in the league standings consequently.
A lack of clinical finishing cost Sunderland dear on their travels to Home Park, sliding down the Championship table to a disappointing ninth spot with Hull City and Cardiff City now above the Black Cats after the loss.
It could well lead to a number of changes being made by Mowbray for Sunderland’s upcoming home match this Wednesday against Huddersfield Town, the 60-year-old wanting to see an immediate response at the Stadium of Light from his players to reclaim some authority back in the playoff race.
One player that could be sacrificed from the line-up mid-week is Nazariy Rusyn, the lone Ukrainian striker still goalless in a red and white strip this season and was anonymous for large spells of the game at Argyle.
Nazariy Rusyn’s game vs Plymouth in numbers
When Rusyn signed this summer from FC Zorya Luhansk to join the Sunderland ranks, hype amongst the Black Cats masses suggested he could be the perfect replacement for the out-going Ross Stewart – the agile 5 foot 10 attacker scoring 13 times for Luhansk last season in the league, before relocating to English football.
It’s been a bumpy transition to the demands of competitive EFL football for the Ukrainian however, who was poor again versus Plymouth to the dismay of the irritated Sunderland away supporters who had made the colossal journey down to Devon.
Sunderland’s misfiring number 15 didn’t even register a single shot on target in this contest as per Sofascore, dragging one effort wide whilst his only other half-hearted attempt to score was blocked before being substituted off at the break.
With Rusyn only amassing 12 touches on the ball and three passes in total, the game passed the 25-year-old by whilst Sunderland’s star-man Jack Clarke worked doubly hard to work openings for any attacker to hopefully convert from – accurate with four crosses into the area in the full 90 minutes, Rusyn’s replacement in Eliezer Mayenda equally as wasteful when a chance came his way.
It’s been the tale of Rusyn’s time in a Sunderland shirt to date, an underperforming striker continually wilting on the big occasion.
Nazariy Rusyn’s season in numbers
Rusyn is still goalless in his new red and white strip from nine total appearances to date, with fellow attacking teammates in Luis Semedo, Mason Burstow and Mayenda all still firing blanks up top for Mowbray’s men too.
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Sunderland’s striker goal numbers this season |
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|---|---|
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Nazariy Rusyn |
0 goals from 9 games |
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Luis Semedo |
0 goals from 12 games |
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Mason Burstow |
0 goals from 9 games |
|
Eliezer Mayenda |
0 goals from 2 games |
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Sourced by Transfermarkt. |
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The Ukrainian did show flashes of his quality versus Birmingham City – assisting the opening Jobe Bellingham strike in that match – but he will want to break his goalscoring duck soon for Sunderland or he will risk becoming a similar flop akin to ex-Black Cats striker Leon Dajaku who exited the Stadium of Light as quickly as he joined after failing to settle into his new surroundings.
Mowbray’s patience must now be wearing thin with his Ukrainian summer signing, scrambling around his squad to find anyone who could lead the line more effectively than Rusyn in crunch matches to come.
