Tony Mowbray issues clear message to Burnley ahead of Sunderland clash | OneFootball

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Football League World

·30 March 2023

Tony Mowbray issues clear message to Burnley ahead of Sunderland clash

Article image:Tony Mowbray issues clear message to Burnley ahead of Sunderland clash

Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has revealed that his side won't sit back against Burnley tomorrow night, issuing this clear warning to the league leaders as he spoke to Chronicle Live.

The Black Cats could be forgiven for trying to soak up pressure before hitting the Clarets on the counter considering how well the table toppers have done this season, with Vincent Kompany's men scoring at a rate of two league goals per game and losing just two of their 37 Championship fixtures this term.


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They have been labelled as one of the best teams seen in the second tier in many years by some pundits - and their consistency is certainly helping them to justify that tag.

Not only do they have Nathan Tella at their disposal with the Southampton man being in fine goalscoring form recently, but they also have others including Anass Zaroury, Connor Roberts, Ian Maatsen and others who can contribute in the final third.

Mowbray's side are lacking options in their forward department with their failure to fully address this issue in January potentially looking set to be costly for them in their quest to secure a place in the play-offs.

With this in mind, it would be easy for them to try and sit back before trying to move forward by utilising the pace of Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke and others on the break. But Mowbray is keen for his side to go toe-to-toe with Kompany's men.

He said: "Sometimes the opposition's quality can push you back but we won't go with the mindset of being defensive, we'll take the game to them.

"As I've said over recent weeks, it's almost like a free hit for us so let's go and see how we get on, play our game and see if we can create some chances."

The Verdict:

Sitting seven points adrift of the play-offs with eight league games to go, their chances of forcing their way into the top six are getting slimmer and this is why they need to go for the win in every game.

Draws aren't sufficient anymore and that will force the Black Cats to come out and be positive, something they shouldn't be fearful of doing in front of their home supporters at the Stadium of Light.

If Mowbray's men can make a positive start, the home crowd will get behind them and that should put the Clarets under the cosh, with far more than 30,000 supporters likely to be fully behind the hosts on Wearside.

They can then build on that and try to force their way into the lead, something that could make it difficult for the away side to get back into it, though Kompany's men have the character and squad depth to get themselves back into the clash.

Coming from behind to win against the likes of Middlesbrough and Reading this season, it remains to be seen whether they can do the same at the Stadium of Light if the Black Cats go in front.

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