This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.
The impact of Benji Kimpioka on Saturday showed that Phil Parkinson was wrong to trust in the same set of mostly underperforming players for the majority of his tenure so far.
Off the bench
Kimpioka is still in the period of breaking into the Sunderland matchday squad in League One but if he can replicate the impact he made on Saturday on a more regular basis then he will become a more important member of the senior squad.
The 19-year-old found himself in the right place at the right time against Coventry to stroke home a last-minute equaliser, showing a level of instinct and composure that his teammates have failed to provide too often this term.
He wasn’t on the pitch long but showed energy and tried to put himself about a bit, winning one aerial duel, but it was his willingness to get into the box which unsettled the Sky Blues defence and allowed him to equalise.
Such determination in the attacking department is what Phil Parkinson’s team must produce more often if they are to improve their poor goalscoring record under him – managing 12 goals from the ten matches he has overseen.
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Too much trust in certain players
Since arriving in the north-east Parkinson has played a 4-2-3-1 formation in the majority of his games, much like Jack Ross did.
It is a positive that he has decided to alter that in recent matches against Scunthorpe and Coventry, but he seems a little unwilling to drop underperforming senior players – such as Will Grigg.
As a result, fringe and young players are often overlooked in league competition, and Kimpioka’s impact shows that was the wrong direction to go down.
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Sunderland could benefit from playing those with a point to prove, as they will likely have a little more fight and determination to impress and win, as their career progression is more dependent on them doing well and succeeding.
Contrast that to Grigg or Aiden McGeady, two players who have arguably reached the highest point in their career already.
Parkinson would benefit from greater urgency and energy in his squad. Kimpioka provided that in his cameo against Coventry, and the fact the Black Cats benefitted from his introduction means the manager should be more willing to give him and others more opportunities in future.
The continued negative results show that those picked regularly aren’t doing enough, and therefore Parkinson has made a mistake by not rotating the playing personnel more often.
In other Sunderland news, fans have been reacting to Charlie Methven’s big claim about next season.
