[Slick_Footwork]

I think the lads tried hard today, but with the injury crisis, we just don't have the quality.

If everyone is fit, we should have a top 6 squad and no doubt would've a playoff spot already if Carlos was in charge all season. Possibly we'd have even been in the shake up for automatic.

But this XI just isn't good enough. There's just nothing up top. No creativity in midfield.

If you look at Sunderland today, their attacking midfielders of Jack Clarke and Amad Diallo would would into our first team easily. Diallo is head and shoulders above any of our "creative" players.

Dike, despite not firing on all cylinders when fit, is a massive miss as an option to cross it into, or go direct to.

Grady is a big miss when you need that spark. Even Matty Phillips as an alternative wing option.

If I was to be critical of Carlos today, I'd have liked to have seen him play Bartley and try to take advantage of Sunderland's lack of height at the back. Sunderland were the better footballing side throughout, so after they equalised I think we should've quickly tried a more agricultural approach. Pieters is our best defender on the ball, but doesn't offer any threat from set plays so it made it much easier for them as they were only defending against Ajayi.

I don't see us getting anything from Sheffield United to be honest. But it's a strange old game so you never know. If we are to, we might need Bartley in the opposition box, like at the start of Carlos' time.