Strikers - or, rather, the lack of them - has been a theme of Sunderland's season. Nathan Broadhead's return to Everton last summer at the end of his loan spell meant the question of who the Black Cats would bring in as competition, cover, and a potential partner, for Ross Stewart loomed large.
Sunderland were expected to sign two strikers, but in the end Ellis Simms was the only addition when he arrived on loan from Everton two days before the season began. An injury to Stewart at the beginning of September left Simms to shoulder the burden on his own, and in the very next game at Reading Simms was also injured which meant Sunderland had to battle on through the next seven games without a recognised centre-forward at all.
Simms was then recalled by Everton at the beginning of January, meaning the mid-season transfer window turned into another search for a striker. Again, two strikers were expected but only one materialised when Joe Gelhardt arrived on loan from Leeds United just days before the deadline.
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And Gelhardt had been at Sunderland less than 24 hours before Stewart suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in a FA Cup fourth round tie at Fulham, leaving Sunderland back down to one striker for the remainder of the campaign. Yet, for all Sunderland's well-documented lack of out-and-out frontmen, goalscoring has not been a problem.
The Black Cats are exceeding all expectations on their return to the Championship, occupying a play-off place until last week and they are currently just four points outside the top six, which could not have happened unless they were scoring goals on a regular basis. A look at the stats shows that Sunderland are the fourth-highest scoring team in the second tier, having found the net 49 times in 34 league games.
Only the division's top three sides - Burnley (68), Sheffield United (55), and Middlesbrough (56) - have scored more league goals. Not only that, but Sunderland have scored in each of their last 18 games in all competitions, 15 of those in the league, having last drawn a blank in their 1-0 home defeat against Cardiff City on November 5.
To add some context, Sunderland's three centre-forwards this season have contributed 18 goals between them, with top scorer Stewart notching ten times in 13 outings, Simms seven times in 17 games, and Gelhardt once in six appearances so far. Not one of that trio will end the season having played in half the club's league fixtures. Not even 40 percent.
Stewart will end the season having played in just 28 percent of Sunderland's league games, the now-departed Simms in 37 percent, while Gelhardt can play in a maximum of 39 percent assuming he stays fit and is picked for every match. Tony Mowbray has had to look elsewhere for goals, and on-loan Manchester United forward Amad has stepped up to the plate with eight goals in 27 games so far, as has Jack Clarke with seven goals in 33 games to date.
Patrick Roberts' creative talents have been integral to Sunderland's performances and his four goals in 30 outings have helped, although there is a feeling he should have scored more. Dan Neil, Alex Pritchard, Elliot Embleton, and Dennis Cirkin have chipped in with a couple apiece, while four more - not including Gelhardt - each have one to their name.
It may be that at the end of the season, Sunderland fall short of the play-offs. Given the season they have had - and are having - that would come as a disappointment, although in the cold light of day there must be a recognition that they have outperformed expectations merely by mounting a challenge considering they finished fifth in League One last May.
And if that is how it pans out, you could make a case that adding another striker to the squad - either in the summer or in January - might have made all the difference. Or perhaps not.
It is a debate that will rage in every pub on Wearside and, of course, all over social media. But as things stand now, Sunderland's lack of striking options has not translated into a lack of goals, which is what really matters.
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