Sunderland manager Mike Dodds has reserved praise for the ‘top, top’ Black Cats star ahead of Norwich City.
Sunderland will return to Championship action on Saturday, travelling to Norwich City.
It’s a critical game in the race for the top six, with Sunderland in 10th and Norwich City in seventh; the Black Cats are eight points behind the Canaries.
Dodds’ first game back as temporary manager ended in a 2-1 defeat to Swansea City at the Stadium of Light last Saturday.
The 37-year-old, on the other hand, claims that his players have reacted and prepared well this week in preparation for a difficult encounter against a Norwich team that has not lost in five matches.
And the news that Jack Clarke will be out for the next six weeks has made this weekend’s game much more challenging.
Mike Dodds hails Romaine Mundle ‘raw talent’ ahead of Norwich City
With Clarke out, Dodds will have to rely on others to create a spark for Sunderland.
That someone could be Romaine Mundle, who signed in January.
On deadline day, the 20-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur prospect signed a permanent contract with Sunderland from Standard Liege. He has since appeared four times in the Championship for the club.
He’s only started one game so far, but with Clarke’s injury, he might play a significant role in the run-in.
Dodds spoke about the former Spurs prodigy ahead of this weekend.
“I’m a big Romaine fan, and the tiny clips I’ve seen show raw skill. I see players who are similar to Jack (Clarke). If he listens and works hard, there will always be an element of luck in development, but I believe we have a legitimate top-tier player.”
Dodds concluded:
“Romaine’s got a big future at this football club, and I think the fans should be excited about that.”
Mundle has big shoes to fill at Sunderland
At the time, it appeared that Mundle was brought in to eventually replace, if not soften the loss of Clarke.
Many expect Clarke to leave this summer, but he appears to have played his final game for the Black Cats, with this injury likely sidelining him till the end of the season.
Mundle may have to step up sooner than planned, and he has large shoes to fill.
We haven’t seen enough of him to determine if he plays similarly to Clarke. However, Dodds’ high regard for the child should speak volumes; he previously worked with Jude Bellingham at Birmingham City.
Mundle, who has only played 10 league games in his professional career, including four for Sunderland, should find the rest of the season to be a learning experience.
But this weekend could be the perfect opportunity to put him in the XI and let him show the fans and Dodds what he’s capable of.
Saturday’s kick-off time is 3 p.m.
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