Fletcher in need of a bit of respite

CHRIS Coleman felt he had reached the stage where Ashley Fletcher needed to come out of the Sunderland firing line on Saturday.

The striker, on loan from Middlesbrough, had started every game since joining apart from one against his parent club, which he was ineligible for.

But having failed to find the net in any of those seven matches, he was a substitute in the 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End.

Coleman believes that barren run, and two missed chances in particular, have weighed heavily on the 22-year-old.

“He’s found it tough coming into a struggling team,” said Sunderland’s manager. “He’s coming into a club with a lot of uncertainty, he’s had one or two moments in games where if he hits the back of the net things could be different.

“There was a moment at Bristol (City, when the score was 3-2 to the Robins) where the keeper pulled off a great save, I think that affected him, here against (Aston) Villa he got through and had a bad touch and that affected him.

“He’ll come through it, but with Josh (Maja) and Joel (Asoro) they’re also young but they like playing together, especially when we play two up top. They’ve got a good connection and they’re big friends so I thought it would be better to take Fletch out and give those two a start (against Preston).”

Maja and Asoro have come up through Sunderland’s youth system together. Maja made his breakthrough by scoring the only goal against Fulham in December, but 18-year-old Asoro has had the greater impact.

He scored against Hull City and Middlesbrough and has been involved in every game in 2018, usually from the start.

Sunderland have not scored in their last three matches, and have only found the net 16 times in Coleman’s 22-game tenure, so struggles in front of goal are not unique to Manchester United youth product Fletcher.

The Black Cats’ top-scorer, Lewis Grabban, played his last game for the club before Christmas. After 12 goals, he was recalled from his season-long loan by Bournemouth in January and is now with Aston Villa. The next best is Aiden McGeady, with six in all competitions.