Tony Mowbray admits Jewison Bennette is probably growing frustrated at his lack of action - but the Sunderland boss says the Costa Rica international has time on his side. Winger Bennette joined the Black Cats at the end of August but has yet to start a Championship game, although he has been involved from the bench in almost half of their matches and has contributed one goal.
The form of Jack Clarke has made him one of the first names on Mowbray's teamsheet and that has meant it has been difficult for Bennette to force his way into the starting line-up. But at 18 years old, Bennette can afford to be patient and Mowbray sees this season as a transitional year for the youngster as he settles in following his trans-Atlantic move, with the next campaign earmarked as the one for him to make an impact.
"Jewison deserves opportunities and he probably is a bit frustrated with his game time, but it's very difficult when Jack Clarke has scored as many as he has to tell him he's out of the team - we're trying to win matches," said Mowbray. "Jewison is a young boy with lots and lots of time and he just has to keep working hard, and we'll try and give him the game time [he needs].
READ MORE: Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray outlines his attacking dilemma as he looks to find a workaround
"Then come pre-season, he has to show he's ready and should be in the team and then who is to say one day we don't find a recipe to get all of these players into the team."
With Ross Stewart's season-ending Achilles injury depriving Sunderland of their one out-and-out targetman, Mowbray is working to find the best combination of the attacking players he can call upon. Generally, Patrick Roberts has operated on the right and Clarke on the left, with Amad in the number ten role behind on-loan Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt.
But he has also considered switching Roberts and Clarke to change the type of crosses coming into the penalty area. He said: "The conundrum is always whether you play a left-footer on the left and vice versa.
"We could switch Jack and Patrick and put them on their natural sides. And yet, that cross from Jewison is a little overhit falls for Amad at the back post, it's not as if Ross Stewart was there towering over the defender ready for a bullet header.
"It's a fine line between delivering balls into the box and cutting inside and passing into the box, young Gelhardt needs different types of crosses to score than Ross does. These are all things that we discuss."
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