Signed from Wigan Athletic for a fee which could reach £4 million, Sunderland’s Will Grigg was seen as the man to fire Black Cats to the Championship. Having shown glimpses of what he is capable of, niggling injuries have stopped him producing his best form. With this in mind, Black Cats fans will not see the best of Grigg until the new season begins.
Will Grigg Should Come Good Next Season
Injured When Signed
After losing top scorer Josh Maja in January, Sunderland were desperate to land a replacement. Jack Ross identified Will Grigg as his number one target. His chase for Grigg went all the way to the final minutes of the transfer window. His signing had supporters convinced that they had the man to fire them to the Championship. The ambition of the club to sign the Northern Ireland international was also applauded.
Sadly, Grigg had been struggling with an injury while at Wigan. It’s an injury that saw Grigg never reach full fitness for the rest of the season. Glimpses of his finishing ability were seen; however, it was not enough to secure promotion for his new side.
Sunderland’s Will Grigg Has Impressive League One Record
Grigg is an experienced League One striker. When he has played in the division, the goals have usually flowed. Before signing for Sunderland, his previous three seasons in the division brought a total of 64 goals. Should the Northern Ireland international hit form like this next season, then Sunderland could be heading for the Championship.
Determined to Succeed
Speaking to the Chronicle, Grigg said: “It is a league I know, it is a league I have had a lot of success in and scored lots of goals. That is why I have come to the club. To score goals, to get promoted and I am going to do everything possible to try and achieve that.”
Playing to his Strengths
There is little doubt that a fully fit Will Grigg will score goals in League One. He often looked more comfortable and confident when playing alongside Charlie Wyke in a 4-4-2 formation. When up front on his own, he looked isolated with support from the midfield lacking.
A 4-4-2 formation in this day and age is almost old fashioned. Although many would like to see it used more often, it often leads to the midfield being short on numbers. A way around this could be a switch to a 3-5-2 formation. Whether Sunderland can recruit the players required to make this a successful formation remains to be seen. And, could the players already at Jack Ross’s disposal fit into this system?
It has obviously been a disappointing second half of the season for Grigg, Sunderland and their fans. Their Wembley play-off defeat could make them stronger. It will be up to the players, Grigg included, to show that they belong in a higher division.
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