This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
Since Phil Parkinson took over at Sunderland it is fair to say that the majority of his players in his squad have let him down.
Senior players like Will Grigg and Aiden McGeady simply haven’t shown enough, but they’re not the only two, and that’s why Parkinson has lost seven out of 11 games in charge and overseen just 13 goals scored.
It would be understandable if the Black Cats’ boss was desperate to change his playing personnel, and his actions in a recent FA Cup game indicate that he may already be running out of patience.
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He made the bold call to start Brandon Taylor at centre-back against Gillingham, who subsequently performed very well and credited his manager for the faith shown in him.
That suggests there could be a path for young players to enter the first-team, particularly as those in the first-team aren’t pulling their weight.
Taylor also spoke highly about his peers Jack Bainbridge and Lee Connelly, who also made the matchday squad against Gillingham in that encounter, and the latter is one to keep an eye on.
Sunderland U23s have disappointed as often as the first team and sit bottom in Premier League 2 with no wins, but despite that, Connelly has shown just what he has to offer.
The striker has four goals in nine games in that competition, despite a lack of service, but his knack of knowing where the target is means he has a lot of skill and could be of good use.
Parkinson lacks strikers in his squad, especially with Charlie Wyke out injured, and it seems that Connelly may fair better under the new boss than under Jack Ross, who sent him on loan to South Shields at the beginning of the season.
The 20-year-old needs experience, as he has some way to reach the level Josh Maja was showing at the same age. But like the now Bordeaux forward he has shown qualities in the youth set-up, and deserves his chance – after all it’s not like Will Grigg is on fire.
In other Sunderland news, bringing in a Director of Football is another step the club need to make, as it could reap multiple benefits.