SUNDERLAND’S form in front of goal continues to be an issue for Gus Poyet with his side having failed to score in nine of their 23 matches this season, while only three teams in the top four English divisions have scored less. Sports Writer Steph Clark looks at five things the Black Cats head coach could do to address their measly goal return.

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Buy a striker in this month’s transfer window

Not an easy thing to do and even more so when it’s January and half of the Premier League is on the lookout for a striker as well.

It has become abundantly clear that Sunderland need someone to inject a bit of pace and energy up front, but it remains to be seen whether Ellis Short will sanction the sort of fee a decent striker will command at this stage of the season.

Their failure to re-sign Fabio Borini or recruit a like-for-like replacement has left Poyet extremely short. The Uruguayan has Steven Fletcher, Jozy Altidore and Connor Wickham at his disposal, but none of them have set the Premier League alight. With Borini still limited to a bit part role at Liverpool, Poyet may be tempted to return to Anfield with another offer for the Italian, but whether the striker would be receptive to a move back to the North-East remains to be seen.

The Black Cats were linked with Mauro Zarate prior to his move from West Ham to Queens Park Rangers, while Manchester United youngster James Wilson has also been mentioned in a possible loan switch.

Experiment with his formation

Poyet has stuck with his preferred 4-1-4-1 formation all season, but while Sunderland are undoubtedly more difficult to break down, persisting with one up front just isn’t working.

Fletcher or Altidore have assumed that role for the majority of their matches, but they have managed only five goals between them. Fletcher or Altidore – the latter could yet leave the Stadium of Light this month – could benefit from playing with a partner or even together.

On quite a few occasions this term there haven’t been enough bodies in the opposition penalty area when Sunderland have broken forward and you have to feel that perhaps Poyet is missing a trick with Adam Johnson, Seb Larsson and Jordi Gomez all capable of putting dangerous balls into the box.

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Use players in their most effective positions

Poyet has given Connor Wickham a new role this season, but the English striker has not been able to replicate the impact Borini made cutting in from the left last season.

Wickham’s best run of form since making his £8m move from Ipswich Town in 2011 came towards the end of last season when he scored five times to help keep the Black Cats in the Premier League. Then, the 21-year-old was playing up front in the absence of the injured Fletcher, and it wouldn’t do Poyet any harm to unleash the striker in that position again.

Another player Poyet has not been able to get the best out of is Emanuele Giaccherini. The Italian attacking midfielder’s Wearside career has been plagued by injury, but when he has played it has tended to be out wide. The 29-year-old is the kind of player that needs to see plenty of the ball to be effective and you can’t help but feel playing him in an advanced central role would give Sunderland a different dimension in the final third.

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Throw caution to the wind

Poyet’s philosophy has been clear from day one when he asked fans to be patient as he set about changing the team’s identity.

“I know the fans want us to come out flying and score in five minutes but that won't happen,” the head coach said, and he hasn’t disappointed. The Uruguayan’s preferred possession-based style has made Sunderland difficult to break down, but going forward there is a distinct lack of pace and guile.

He might argue that playing this way has earned the Black Cats some crucial points this season even though it hasn’t been pretty to watch. Last month’s Tyne-Wear derby saw Poyet execute the perfect game plan of sitting back and hitting Newcastle in the late stages to steal a 1-0 win, but that tactic won’t work every week, particularly in front of 40,000 at the Stadium of Light.

Poyet doesn’t have to abandon the idea of building from the back altogether, but you can’t help but wonder that going out and being more positive will turn some of the bore draws into wins.

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The Wildcard

IF Sunderland don’t sign a striker this month Poyet will have to make the best out of what he has and while it probably wouldn’t go down well with supporters, giving Altidore a prolonged spell in the side might be what the striker needs to rediscover his goalscoring touch.

Making sporadic appearances off the bench for five or ten minutes isn’t getting the best out of the USA international. Failing that, there’s always Danny Graham. The forgotten striker enjoyed his best season playing in a 4-2-3-1 system at Swansea, but having made only one appearance under Poyet a return for the Gateshead-born front man doesn’t look likely.

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