Sunderland coach calls for patience with 'talented' strikers

Sunderland coach Mark Venus says the strikers at the club retain the club’s confidence despite them all failing to score so far this season.

The last time a Sunderland centre forward found the net was against Huddersfield in April when Joe Gelhardt was on target.

Huddersfield are the visitors to the Stadium of Light again this week, and the Wearsiders are hoping that the strikers can find the target again.

However, Venus has called for calm and patience. Of the four strikers at the club’s disposal, all have had challenges to overcome in terms of settling in.

Luis Hemir and Eliezer Mayenda are teenagers who had barely played senior football before, and the latter has been injured too. On-loan Mason Burstow arrived having never played higher than League One level, and Nazariy Rusyn came from the Ukrainian league.

Venus wants that to be taken into account before they are judged, and he is confident that over time they will all prove to be astute additions.

"We have scored plenty of goals this season,” Venus said. “The strikers are all talented guys, they have come into the club and it isn't easy to settle into the league.

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“As we know, it's a tough league but they'll keep working hard and hopefully will adapt in time and I'm sure their talent will come through and they'll contribute.

"It's hard for these lads. When you come to a different country, especially in a league as intense as this one, everyone tells you how difficult it is.

Lots of teams come down from the Premier League and can't find their feet, never mind young players from different climates.

“They're working really hard and we're all pulling in the same direction."

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