Mike Dodds would have struggled to provide you with many positives on the full-time whistle of Sunderland‘s 5-1 Championship defeat to Blackburn Rovers on Easter Monday, with the Black Cats trounced on their very own patch in humiliating style.
Seasoned first-team faces similar to Daniel Ballard, Luke O’Nien and Patrick Roberts all got here away from the competition as woefully underperforming, Roberts notably poor on his return again within the first-team with zero photographs managed to try to assist his facet restore a few of their wounded satisfaction.
It is much more worrying that the one actual shining gentle was 16-year-old Chris Rigg from a Sunderland perspective, the extremely regarded teenager bagging a comfort strike within the 5-1 defeat to a minimum of increase a quick smile on a number of the faces of the hardened dwelling supporters on the Stadium of Mild.
The dire Championship outfit will preserve their fingers crossed that this fellow Academy product can come good within the senior set-up quickly alongside Rigg, with the 19-year-old star in query arguably now outgrowing the U21 facet primarily based off his current electrical performances.
Harrison Jones’ numbers at youth stage
Final day trip in Premier League 2 motion, Harrison Jones would assist himself to 2 objectives and an help because the U21s convincingly noticed off Leicester Metropolis 4-2.
This standout show from the 19-year-old would see Sunderland Echo journalist James Copley wax lyrical in regards to the younger gem after the sport, stating that Jones is not ‘removed from’ a first-team begin and handed him a additional 9/10 score for his elegant show.
This wasn’t only a fluke one-off efficiency from the 19-year-old midfielder, nevertheless, who has many admirers within the youth set-up at Sunderland at present with 5 objectives and an help from 15 Premier League 2 video games this marketing campaign.
One among Jones’ U21 coaches in John Hewitson would even describe the hotshot as a “diamond” lately, who possesses “incredible technical capacity”.
Little question Jones will likely be knocking on Dodds’ door for some alternatives imminently within the senior fold if the boys’s crew proceed to crash and burn, probably changing into an understudy to a returning Jack Clarke if every part slots into place.
He’ll be extra eager to observe within the footsteps of Rigg within the fast future, nevertheless, who has taken the Championship by storm at factors this season regardless of nonetheless solely being 16.
Jones is the subsequent Rigg
Dodds will likely be keen to check out Jones if his strategy involving Rigg is something to go by, with the interim Black Cats boss handing the homegrown product seven appearances within the league since taking on from Michael Beale.
Rigg has greater than repaid his supervisor’s religion in return, slotting dwelling a possibility towards the Riversiders but in addition displaying himself to be a vigorous nuisance away from simply that purpose discovering the again of the Blackburn internet.
The three-time England U18 worldwide would roll up his sleeves towards Enzo Maresca’s Leicester Metropolis final month, successful seven duels as a steely presence to maneuver away from his unassuming presence as a wide-eyed teen.
Jones will take inspiration from Rigg’s easy transition to the minimize and thrust of second tier soccer, and if Dodds does determine to make the adjustments for Sunderland’s subsequent match towards Bristol Metropolis, he may properly present yet one more thrilling academy prospect within the type of Jones a platform to impress.