Aren’t Delivering, That Is The Issue – Ex-EFL Star Raises Sunderland Concern | OneFootball

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Former EFL star Adrian Clarke has expressed his concern over Sunderland‘s overreliance on Eliezer Mayenda, which he believes will give Sheffield United an edge in the Championship playoff final, in the event it has to be won off the bench.

Sheffield United and Sunderland will lock horns in the final of the playoffs that will be held at Wembley on Saturday, with a place in the Premier League on the line.

While the Blades had an easy passage in the semi-final, for the Black Cats, it was a bumpy ride against Frank Lampard’s Coventry City side.

In the lead-up to the final, Sunderland have only scored four goals in eight games, a fact that keeps Clarke concerned.

According to the former EFL winger, most of the burden of scoring has been shouldered by Sunderland’s 20-year-old forward Mayenda and that can be a concern against a free-scoring Sheffield United team.

“My concern over Sunderland is that it is Mayenda or nothing, that is the issue”, Clarke said on What The EFL (14:50).

“The other guys aren’t delivering, they are not in form are they?”

Picking out some of Sunderland’s main difference-makers, Clarke insisted: “If you go further back individually, with guys like Patrick Roberts, [Jobe] Bellingham and [Chris] Rigg, Enzo Le Fee, not scoring any goals.

“Mayenda is but the others aren’t and that is a slight concern, where Sheffield United have a wide range of players that have scored goals recently.

“They have got options on the bench. He rotated them in the playoffs; that was the luxury that Wilder had.”

While Sheffield United have difference-makers off the bench, Sunderland could be under pressure to find solutions to their problem, Clarke feels.

“So, I think if the game is going to be won off the bench, Sheffield United will probably have a big advantage there.”

Even if Sunderland do not make the Premier League, Clarke has already tipped several of their players to get there eventually.

Sheffield United had been favourites to clinch automatic promotion at one stage, but a late collapse forced them to seek the alternative route.

Sunderland, on their part, secured a playoff spot with months to spare in the regular season and have been focused on the playoffs for some time.