Sunderland boss admits club is too dependant on Darren Bent
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce knows that the English Premier League club is too dependant on Darren Bent for goals.
The 26-year-old striker was included in the starting line-up for the away fixture against Blackburn Rovers on Monday, 18 October, after recovering from a groin strain he picked up while with the England national team.
The home side was forced to play half of the game with ten men after defender Chris Samba was dismissed, but the Black Cats failed to take advantage of the situation, returning to the North East with all three points in the bag as the game ended in a goalless
stalemate.
Bent, who was sent out as his side’s lone striker, had two good chances to score, but did not find the net despite being clean through on goal with just Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson to beat in the opening period, and having a header saved in the second
half.
That has led Bruce to call on the rest of his squad to pick up the slack when Bent, who has seven goals to his name already this season, failed to notch goals.
"We have to chip in [with goals] from other areas. As I've said repeatedly, we can't just keep relying on Benty. Bent has had two or three where you expect a goal. On another night, we win the game."
"Away from home in the Premier League, you take a point but with the circumstances you think 'is it our night?' It's not often you play against 10 men. But arguably they were better with 10 and got men quickly behind the ball and we became a little bit frustrated.
We didn't show enough guile and didn't move the ball quickly enough."
The result translated to Sunderland still searching for their first away win of the 2010-11 EPL campaign, having claimed six draws from their nine matches so far.
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