Having had very little time ahead of his opening match as Sunderland head coach, Dick Advocaat has pledged to use the international break to “try a few things” ahead of the Wear-Tyne derby with Newcastle United in 12 days time. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson identifies five issues he needs to address

Find an attacking formation that gets the best out of Jermain Defoe

If Sunderland are to fire themselves to safety in the remaining eight games of the season, they are surely going to need Defoe to rediscover the form that saw him score two goals in his opening three games for the club.

All too often under Gus Poyet, the England international was forced to lead the line pretty much on his own, a scenario that blunted his threat in front of goal.

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The early signs are that Advocaat is much keener to provide Defoe with support, and the presence of both Connor Wickham and Steven Fletcher in the starting line-up for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at West Ham hinted at a desire to be as positive as possible in the games that remain.

Fielding all three frontline strikers together was an option that was never really investigated under Poyet. It could be effective, although it will be important not to crowd out Defoe in the penalty box.

 

Decide whether to recall Lee Cattermole

Having served the two-match suspension imposed when he picked up his tenth booking of the season, Cattermole is available again for derby day.

On the face of it, his selection would appear to be a no-brainer, with his leadership qualities and combative style ideally suited to the helter-skelter of a derby.

The Northern Echo: CHANGE NEEDED: Lee Cattermole admits that Sunderland need to start a winning run soon

Advocaat is not a massive fan of a defensive holding midfielder though, and with Liam Bridcutt dropped to the bench, Jordi Gomez, Seb Larsson and Jack Rodwell performed reasonably well at Upton Park.

Should Cattermole automatically be recalled, or might his quicksilver temper make him liable to a Steven Gerrard-style dismissal if he starts against Newcastle?

 

Assess Wes Brown’s injury and decide what to do if he is absent

Aside from the result, the other major disappointment from Saturday’s defeat was the early exit of Wes Brown with a knee problem.

Sunderland are hardly overrun with defensive options, and Brown would be missed if he was to be ruled out for a prolonged spell.

The Northern Echo: DERBY: Newcastle's Yohan Cabaye and Sunderland's Wes Brown battle for possession in the season's first derby in August, last year

Santiago Vergini replaced him against West Ham, and the Argentinian would surely partner John O’Shea against the Magpies if Brown was to be unavailable.

Anthony Reveillere and Patrick van Aanholt look set to occupy the full-back berths, even though the latter’s defensive acumen is a source of concern, with Billy Jones and Sebastian Coates seemingly out of favour.

 

Work out what to do with Adam Johnson

Having brought Johnson back into the fold last week, Advocaat made the bold call of introducing the winger from the bench at West Ham, even though he remains on police bail following allegations of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl.

There was an inevitable outcry from the home fans, but Johnson appeared to handle the situation reasonably well. Surviving the tumult that would greet him on derby day, however, is a completely different challenge.

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Advocaat might decide it is not worth the hassle, although the Dutchman will also be aware of Johnson’s sensational recent record against Newcastle.

December’s derby winner at St James’ Park was the winger’s third goal in the last four games against the Magpies. With that in mind, can Advocaat afford to leave him out?

 

Develop a tactical style

Despite the switch to a 4-3-3 formation, and an obvious attempt to increase his side’s work rate and willingness to press the ball, Advocaat was unable to engineer a radical tactical shift at the weekend.

Perhaps, with just eight more games remaining, it is unrealistic to expect anyone to overhaul a team’s entire style of playing in such a short space of time?

The Northern Echo: Dick Advocaat will mark his first game in charge of Sunderland by taking them to West Ham on Saturday

Be that as it may, the international hiatus represents Advocaat’s only real opportunity to spend a block of time with his players on the training ground between now and the end of the season.

It is imperative he makes the most of it, if only to ensure his players head into the derby convinced of their role in the side and comfortable with what is expected of them, both in defence and attack. A couple of well-practised set-piece routines would also be useful.