Sunderland bidding on strikers but can’t afford ‘ridiculous’ fees, admits Tony Mowbray

Sunderland’s lack of a cutting edge was exposed in their opening weekend defeat against Ipswich Town

Tony Mowbray admits Sunderland’s lack of cutting edge cost them against Ipswich Town – but insists the Black Cats are working to bring in more attacking options, although they cannot afford the ‘ridiculous’ prices that some clubs are paying. Sunderland lost 2-1 against the newly-promoted Tractor Boys at the Stadium of Light in their opening Championship fixture.

The game highlighted the Black Cats’ paucity of options in the final third, where 19-year-old Luis Hemir was left to spearhead the attack until he tired around the hour mark. In the end, Sunderland’s goal came from midfielder Dan Neil, and the same player rattled the woodwork in injury time as he almost salvaged a point for his team.

But Mowbray says the club is trying to bring in at least one more frontman during the current transfer window. “I think for us it was just cutting edge – on days like today, you have to put the ball in the net if the chances come,” he said.

“I don’t want to keep banging the drum but I do think we need more options at the top end of the pitch, and I know the club is trying really hard to do that. I saw [former Sunderland star] Kevin Phillips on the telly there, and I think if we had had Kevin Phillips there today then we would have won quite comfortably.

“But the club is trying really hard. We are putting bids in for players.

“It’s hard to find strikers – worldwide, it is really difficult at the moment. As some of the clubs in the Premier League are finding, if they are going to get a striker they are going to have to pay a ridiculous amount of money.

“Well in this league, some of the strikers are going for ridiculous amounts of money and we don’t have ridiculous amounts of money. Instead of the first choice one that you want, you might be looking at the third or the fourth choice.

“We have to get on with it. Hopefully, there will be more attacking options in the building in the next week or two, and they will have to then settle in.”

Sunderland have got players to come back, with Ross Stewart due to return from a long-term injury at the end of September while new addition Bradley Dack will soon be introduced into the side when he is up-to-speed. Mowbray said: “I think we’re going to get stronger.

“I sit here thinking that in six or seven weeks, hopefully Ross Stewart will be playing down the middle, Bradley Dack might be playing behind him, then [Jack] Clarke and [Patrick] Roberts – it looks a pretty formidable attacking line-up.”

One-time Sunderland striker Nathan Broadhead – who helped Sunderland win promotion from League One the season before last while on loan from Everton – put Ipswich ahead on the stroke of half-time, and he then created the second goal for George Hirst early in the second period. Mowbray said: “The first 15 minutes was one-way traffic, they were catching their breath and working their way into the game.

“We are disappointed about the result. We lost at home and we have to try and be strong at home this year.

“I thought we put a great effort in but we just fell a little bit short in the end.”

Sunderland’s task was made all the more difficult when they were reduced to ten men with just under 20 minutes to go when Trai Hume was sent off for a second bookable offence after he brought down Leif Davis. Referees have been told to take a strict approach this season, and Mowbray said: “We feel a little hard-done-by with the sending off, to be honest.

“But I do think the officials have been put in an almost impossible position at the moment, and we have to get on with it and see how it irons out over the next few months.”