"I am expecting" - Claim made on Mason Burstow's future at Sunderland amid Chelsea loan | OneFootball

Highlights

Sunderland head coach Tony Mowbray has spoken about the extent of Chelsea youngster Mason Burstow's loan spell at the Stadium of Light, after last season's experience with fellow Premier League forward Ellis Simms.

Simms, now plying his trade for divisional rivals and Mowbray's former employers, Coventry City was in blistering form during the early months of Sunderland's first campaign in the second tier for five years - accumulating a total of 7 goals and 2 assists in 17 Championship outings alongside Ross Stewart.

With both missing from the squad following the beginning of the January transfer window, it's even more of a testament to the 59-year-old's man management with a young squad that they were able to reach the play-offs.

At the beginning of this current season, the Black Cats have continued to ride the momentum of the past eighteen months or so, before hitting a blip in their previous two encounters, losing 4-0 to Middlesbrough before a 2-1 away defeat at the hands of Stoke City.

At present, the club sit sixth in the Championship after 12 games, despite the fact in the summer there was yet again a high turnover of players, with the philosophy of signing young talent still a key factor.

Mowbray doesn't expect a repeat of last January where Simms was recalled by Everton in the midst of their relegation battle.

"I'm expecting him to be here for the season." he told Chronicle Live.

"I'm sure there will be a recall in there - every loan these days seems to have a recall [clause]. Chelsea seem to have turned the corner a little bit in terms of results so maybe there won't be such urgency to recall a young boy to do a man's job for them.

The 20-year-old Burstow was one of many brought in during the final stages of the transfer window, as Sunderland looked to fill the void left by Ross Stewart's injury as well as his high-profile departure to Southampton.

How has Mason Burstow performed so far for Sunderland?

Despite Sunderland's relatively strong start at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, Burstow has had a mixed start to life on the North East in what is his first taste of second tier football.

In his seven appearances so far, the young centre-forward's solitary goal contribution came in the 3-0 victory at Sheffield Wednesday on September 29th when he won a spot-kick after a foul from Bambo Diaby, which Jack Clarke duly dispatched.

However, his boss expects that when Burstow gets his first goal for the club, confidence will soon flow as he's already shown different aspects of his game so far.

"I think that Mason just has to grow into it. He needs a goal - we've said that - but he works hard on all aspects of his game and his finishing, and I'm sure the goal is just around the corner somewhere.

"Hopefully he is one of those strikers where he gets one and then a whole flurry of them come pretty quickly. We have to persevere and keep going with him."

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What next for Mason Burstow and Sunderland?

It's clear that Mowbray has a lot of faith in the youngster to eventually produce the goods, which will be music to Burstow's ears.

He will have also seen the output from many players of a similar age in Mowbray's squad since he took charge, which is bound to give himself confidence that things will eventually click, but he must not dwell on this aspect as his all-round game has contributed to Sunderland's good start.

The fact he was called up to England's Under-20's squad in the recent international break suggests the forward is doing something right.

However, he and Sunderland face the toughest test the Championship could throw at them next, with the daunting task of stopping Enzo Maresca's juggernaut-like Leicester City side their next assignment.