da realsbet： Fresh off their win at Swansea, Sunderland might be finally having hopes that they could break out of the relegation zone, as the sides around them continue to falter.
da bet sport： Sam Allardyce has, at the very least, managed to en-still some structure to the Sunderland side and the big man is looking to add to his squad in this window as he looks to clamber out of the relegation zone.
Jermain Defoe is absolutely crucial to Sunderland’s survival prospects, fresh from a hat-trick against Swansea, but we all know that Big Sam will be looking to make sure that his defence is as solid as it can possibly be as they head into the business end of the season.
We shan’t be expecting any exciting matches if Allardyce gets his way, so it would only be fitting for the ex-Bolton manager to add another defensive player to his squad.
Here are FIVE reasons that Sam Byram is crucial to Sunderland’s prospects…
Flying wing-backs..
Byram is as much of a threat in the attacking third as he is in the defensive third and he would be a brilliant addition to Sam Allardyce’s 5-3-2 system.
Where Billy Jones is solid defensively, Byram can be compared to a young Gareth Bale in his powerful runs down the wings.
Wide weakness?
According to WhoScored, it is a significant weakness of Sunderland when it comes to defending against attacks down the wings.
Obviously, adding a higher quality of full-back is one way of improving that, so maybe Byram could be the man to take the step up.
Stretchy game
Sunderland need to make sure they continue to stretch the game as they attack if they are going to score enough goals to keep them in the league.
Defoe needs the space created by flying wing-backs, like Byram, for his darting runs, whilst players like Johnson and Lens need an extra ‘out ball’.
Baby face
Allardyce would gain hugely by adding a bit more youth to his defence, obviously in the shape of Sam Byram.
Many of Sunderland’s defence are approaching the end of their careers and look extremely vulnerable to any attack that can offer pace and movement.
American returner
Yedlin has been Sunderland’s usual option if they want to use wing-backs, but the Spurs man is going to return to his club at the end of the season and will cause Big Sam another problem.
If Allardyce is going to pursue his plans with wing-backs, a longer term solution is needed and Byram is just that.