Sunderland’s Chris Maguire has seemingly fallen out of favour with manager Jack Ross. The fan favourite was not in the matchday squad last week. The game previously, and also the latest home draw, saw him as an unused substitute. This season has seen Maguire go from a failure at Bury to the King of Wearside. With Sunderland battling it out for promotion, the Chris Maguire seen during the first half of the season is needed.
Chris Maguire Needed in Promotion Push
Desperate to Be at Sunderland
After a disappointing spell at Bury, Maguire was desperate to move on. He craved the big crowds; the crowds that he believes bring the best out of him. When Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven took over the club, Maguire was one of the first to get in touch. His text was a simple one: “Get me to Sunderland”.
When he arrived, Jack Ross advised that Maguire looked at the Stadium of Light and simply said: “I’ll have a bit of this”. Crowds at Sunderland average around 30,000 in League One, plus a crowd of over 46,000 on Boxing Day, which not only make the Black Cats one of the best-supported clubs in the Football League but also the Premier League and across Europe. It’s this type of support that he wanted, which gave him the platform to be one of Sunderland’s best players, especially during the first half of the season. It also saw him given a new nickname.
The King
Many Sunderland supporters will associate the nickname ‘The King’ with just one player – Charlie Hurley. The commanding centre half who was voted the club’s Player of the Century. However, soon after Maguire career on Wearside began, fans began to put the crown onto their new favourite.
His performances, goals, determination and desire quickly made him a fan favourite. He appeared to be the perfect fit at Sunderland for the thousands of fans attending games.
Goal Awards
His performances also brought excellent goals. Two of these brought Goal of the Month awards. His first was the September award, a 25-yard screamer into the top corner against Burton Albion that gave the keeper no chance. His second was the October award, another classic long-range strike against Southend which helped Sunderland to all three points.
Out of Favour?
Recently, Jack Ross has omitted Maguire from the starting 11. The 30-year-old had been out of sorts in a home game and was substituted. He has not played since. His attitude, like at other clubs, has once again come into question.
Manager Jack Ross has called on Maguire to prove him wrong and make him select him. “The brutal reality is that sometimes players will be left out and then it is about how they respond to it. They can go in a huff or they can set out to prove me wrong and I’ve never had any problem with a player who proves me wrong. Chris has trained well this week so he has reacted in the right way.”
Any disagreements must be put aside for the good of the team as they look to get back into the automatic promotion places, and also for the player himself. He has a great opportunity to stay at a club. He has already enjoyed success but could go on to win promotion and be an even bigger fan favourite.
On-Form Maguire Needed
An on-form Chris Maguire could give Sunderland that extra edge needed. Several clubs are battling it out for automatic promotion and it could go to the last day of the season. The Black Cats have struggled for victories of late. Too many games have ended in draws when a win appeared to be there for the taking. Maguire could have made the difference. In the coming months, in the right frame of mind, he can make that difference.
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