Luke O’Nien’s return to action on Tuesday, albeit a cameo, was a welcome boost for Sunderland and their fans. The versatile midfielder has been missing for several months through injury and Tuesday saw him return as he made an immediate impact.
Fan-favourite O’Nien came on in the 71st minute of the victory over Fleetwood Town and his energy and driving runs at the visitor’s defence, changed the game in the Black Cats’ favour. Putting Sunderland into the lead with a good finish, he gave his side the momentum to claim a 3-1 victory which looked unlikely prior to his entrance.
Luke O’Nien’s Return Could be Crucial Head of Set of Fixtures
Script Could Not Have Been Written Any Better
Luke O’Nien’s return to action for the Black Cats on Tuesday night could not have been written any better. With just 19 minutes of the game to be played, Sunderland had been poor but had managed to equalise 10 minutes into the second half. With several of Alex Neil’s men beginning to tire, the head coach brought on O’Nien for his first appearance in over three months.
The former Wycombe Wanderers midfielder produced an excellent cameo appearance as he brought energy to the Black Cats midfield. Turning the game in the favour of the home side by scoring their second, he was a constant threat to the opposition. His determination and knowhow of League One could be crucial as Sunderland look to at least cement a place in the playoffs this season.
Versatile and Dependable
Luke O’Nien’s return could solve several issues for head coach Alex Neil. Sunderland’s Mr. Versitile has played in a number of positions since joining the club in 2018. A midfielder by trade, the 27-year-old has also played at right-back, left-back and in central defence. Which ever position he has been asked to play in he had proved to be dependable, a key attribute for a head coach when selecting a team.
Head Coach Sees Him in an Advanced Midfield Role
Once described by former Sunderland manager Jack Ross as an “unbelievably good finisher for a guy that’s not a striker”, this could be key behind Alex Neil believe that his best position could be as an advanced midfielder. Despite only playing once since Neil was appointed, O’Nien has shown the qualities needed to be effective in this role.
Speaking after O’Nien’s dramatic return, head coach told the Chronicle his thoughts when asked where he thinks the player is best suited. He said: “Bearing in mind he has only played 20 minutes for me, it’s a difficult question to answer because what I don’t want to do is say I see him as a midfielder and then in two weeks’ time I play him at full-back and people say I had been talking a lot of nonsense, At this moment in time, I see Luke as a midfield player.
“I don’t see him as a deep-lying midfielder at the moment, I see him as one who can break forward, score a goal, and also trigger the press in that central area. He’s got really good mobility, he wants to get about the pitch, and he has good attributes. I was really pleased with his impact and the influence he had on the game the other night. Having Luke back was really pleasing.
“As I’ve said previously, we don’t really have the variation that I would like in the squad. We need midfield players who want to get beyond, hit the box, disrupt the back four, and Luke provided that. His energy and his legs and his anticipation in and around the box which led to his goal, really set us off the other night.”
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