‘Wyke is playing with real swagger – and it’s great to see’
Charlie Wyke has hit a strong vein of goalscoring form.
Huge credit should be given to Sunderland head coach Lee Johnson for helping get the big striker firing.
He looks a real goal threat in every game and if he continues in this form, then there is no reason why Sunderland can’t have a big push for promotion.
On Saturday, besides his goal, I thought he put in an outstanding all-round performance.
He led the line well and his link-up play was top notch.
This side of his game has not been his strongest point since his move to the Black Cats, but on Saturday I thought he was exemplary on that front.
He has a real swagger about him and it is great to see. He looks like he now believes he belongs at the club.
I know Charlie as a lad due to our paths crossing briefly at Carlisle at the start of his career, so I know first-hand how much he puts everything into being the best he can be, every day.
It’s great to see his effort paying off now in a red and white shirt.
What I would stress is, now he is such a key player for the club, it would be very wise to tie him up to a new deal as there is no doubt would-be suitors will have taken notice of this form.
One thing Sunderland have struggled with since Josh Maja left is to have a regular goal scorer.
Surely the club won’t let something similar happen again.
Sunderland remain the only EFL side yet to taste defeat on the road this season – but Bailey Wright says the record will only matter if it helps the Black Cats to promotion.
The weekend draw at MK Dons means that the Wearsiders are still yet to be beaten on their travels during the 2020/21 campaign, and are the only EFL side to hold such a record.
Sunderland have won six and drawn six away from home this term and have accumulated 24 points while on the road – compared to the 17 points they have picked up at the Stadium of Light.
That unbeaten streak will be put to the test on Tuesday evening though, as Lee Johnson’s troops travel to face a Shrewsbury Town side in a good run of form.
And while naturally pleased with the record, defender Wright says it will only hold an distinction if it helps the Black Cats to promotion this term.
“It's good to be unbeaten,” admitted the Australian.
"I'd prefer to win more, eradicate some of the draws and put some more points on the board, but it's good.
"It shows we're doing a lot of things right and we're a good, solid unit with a lot of characters.
"When you go away from home you need a lot of characters in the team.
"We're unbeaten away from home, brilliant, but the marker is where we want to be at the end of the season.
"If that helps us get there, brilliant, but that's all that matters.”