MC-NIFICENT SEVEN! SCOTS PLAYERS TO TEMPT ROSS
SEVEN PLAYERS FROM SCOTTISH FOOTBALL NEW MANAGER JACK ROSS SHOULD TARGET FOR SUNDERLAND
Jack Ross impressed on his official unveiling as Sunderland manager in front of the gathered press.
But now the talking is over, it is time to get down to business, which means leading the Black Cats to promotion.
A key element of any success under the Scot will be recruitment, and, like at St Mirren, Ross will have the final decision on incoming players.
Unsurprisingly, Ross has already been linked with players from north of the border.
HibernianmidfielderJohn McGinn is an unrealistic target, the Easter Road club having previously slapped a £5million price tag on him, while Sunderland have also been priced out of a move for Hibs’ on loan Swiss forward Florian Kamberi.
Ross will likely want to avoid bringing in a raft of players from Scotland with little experience of the Football League, but there are individuals who would bring quality to the squad, especially young, energetic talent which the Sunderland boss is keen to work with.
There is little surprise that Lewis Morgan has been linked with a move to link-up with his former St Mirren manager.
The 21-year-old will join up with Celtic and Brendan Rodgers for his first pre-season, with the Glasgow giants and see a raft of attacking talent in front of him.
The chance of a loan will come down to Celtic’s thoughts on his development. Morgan plays from the left where Celtic have Scott Sinclair, while Ryan Christie can also player there.
The dexterous forward would bring creativity, vision and a goal threat off either foot to the Sunderland team.
He recently made his Scotland debut against Peru and was one of the bright lights, taking the ball in tight areas, beating players and opening up the South Americans.
Forget John McGinn, his midfield partner Dylan McGeouch was voted Hibs’ player and players’ player of the season for the last campaign and will cost zilch.
Hibs have offered the player an attractive contract to renew, but he is likely seeking a new challenge. The 25-yearold has had his injury issues, but was one of the best players in the Ladbrokes Premiership last season, playing the most minutes in his career.
He was previously used as an attacking and shuttling midfielder but excelled at the base of the midfield.
Hewouldbringcomposure and intelligence to Sunderland. The type of midfielder who appears to have eyes in the back of his head and is capable of making the right decision almost all the time.
An argument could be made that Jordan Jones is the most exciting player in Scotland.
The Middlesbrough native, once on loan at Hartlepool United, has taken massive steps forward in his development since moving north, going to new levels under Steve Clarke at Kilmarnock.
Ross has previously spoken of wanting his attacking players to be positive in the final third and take risks. Jones would fit into such an ethos.
He can play on either wing or through the middle and is keen on taking players on with his dribbling and pace.
No player dribbled the ball more than Jones last season, while he added greater consistency in the final third.
At the age of just 16, John Souttar started a Scottish Cup semi-final for Dundee United against Celtic at centre-back.
Despite looking like he took the wrong turn when nipping out for lunch on his break at school, he stood out for his composure.
Over the last five years, with more than 150 appearances under his belt, plus a Scotland call-up and recovery from a serious Achilles tendon rupture, Souttar – who rejected a move to Sunderland while a tyoungster at Dundee United – has grown in stature as a defender.
There have never been any doubts about his footballing ability, but questions marks persist over his defensive solidity. The past campaign, however, has seen the defender impress more with the nitty gritty side of the game.
Plus, there is still scope for plenty of improvement.
A player of similar ilk to