Amad’s struggles intensified this week as the Manchester United loanee was relegated to Sunderland’s Under-21s.
During Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s time in charge, the Red Devils splashed out £37million to sign the forward from Atalanta. But after failing to make an impact across his first two seasons, he was sent to Rangers on loan but endured a difficult spell north of the border.
The Ivorian was signed as a response to United’s failed initial pursuit of Jadon Sancho, but has continued to fall down the pecking order. Antony’s arrival during the most recent transfer window meant that opportunities under Erik ten Hag were set to be extremely limited and he was allowed to join Sunderland for the full Championship season.
However, after making just one start for the Black Cats senior team, Amad dropped down to the U21s in order to get some playing time. Graeme Murty was recently named as Sunderland’s new head of professional development and used this week’s game against Leeds United as a chance to give as many as nine senior players an opportunity.
The 20-year-old failed to grab his chance as Sunderland were beaten 1-0 by Leeds. His latest disappointment comes days after first-team boss Tony Mowbray warned him that he needed to stop just looking good and actually become good.
Those comments came after Mowbray started the United forward as a lone striker during the 0-0 draw with Blackpool at the Stadium of Light. “We need him to shoot more. It’s something I tell him every single day,” Mowbray said last week.
"It’s almost as if he wants to score a brilliant perfect goal. He feints to shoot, sits somebody down, skips past the next one, faints to shoot and the goalie dives and he rolls it in the corner. We all then go ‘wow’.
“He’s in the middle of the box on his favoured left foot ten yards out. He has just got to smash that in and he waits for the defender to come so he can skip past him.”
The veteran Championship boss urged Amad to listen to his advice and reckoned that the reason he was allowed to leave Old Trafford was to learn lessons quickly.
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Mowbray added: “He has to learn and we have to keep telling him. Football is a game of repetition and trying to create good habits. He’s on that journey with us and probably why he is out on loan from his parent club, because they need to teach the players that if you get a chance in tight games at the top level, you have to take your chances. Not just look good, you have to be good.
“You’re judged by the stats, the goals, the assists. Not how many nutmegs or dribbles you have so he’s a young boy learning his trade. I think it’s good that he’s out there trying to do the job. He is a good finisher when he wants to be. He’s just a bit reluctant to pull the trigger.”
