Sunderland Fan View: Darron Gibson must seize his chance after Jack Rodwell sidelined

I have written previously about losing patience with Sunderland midfielder Jack Rodwell. Nothing he has done recently has changed my mind. It is not just the frustrations stemming from his frequent lacklustre displays but also the fact he is seemingly made of the most delicate porcelain china. Such is the severity of his injury record, it must be accepted he is now more liability than asset.

This is neither a sustainable position for the football club to be in nor, if we are honest, the player himself. Now, yet again, the former Everton player is ruled out with a reoccurring hamstring problem. Unfortunately it has plagued him for some time and having already missed a number of games earlier in the season for the same issue, Rodwell will now be out of contention for several more weeks.

Frankly, the Black Cats have carried the player since he arrived in the summer of 2014. Despite his undoubted potential as a youngster, this hypothetical talent has consistently failed to materialise on Wearside. What-ifs and what-might-have-beens are no use to anyone in a scrap for Premier League safety.

Some would argue that in the circumstances there must be a degree of sympathy for Rodwell. He had only just begun to show a spark of what he might be capable of when injury struck again, they may contest. Whilst this may be true, to an extent, it simply just does not wash anymore. Sunderland should look to jettison him at the earliest opportunity and it can only be regarded a shame that this was not during the January transfer window.

Yes, football can be a cruel game. In fact it is more a cutthroat multi billion pound business now rather than the innocent ‘kick about’ it once was. In the modern era, that is the simple fact of the matter. In this regard the Black Cats must act accordingly. They must show a steely resolve and sever ties with Rodwell as quickly as possible. How long can the club pay wages to someone who, for whatever genuine reason that may exist, is unable to contribute to the quality of the side for any sustained length of time.

Of course, David Moyes has brought in Darron Gibson recently who is likely to come straight in for his injured teammate. Notwithstanding his own chequered medical history the Republic of Ireland international must seize on this opportunity. There can be no room for sentiment.

The good news is that although Gibson has not played a lot of football over the last few seasons, he has, more recently at least, been fit. His lack of game time has been borne from a failure to break into the Everton side following injury rather than any lingering problems.

Positively for Sunderland, this should mean that the Black Cats reap the benefits of a hungry player. Gibson has presumably been longing for an opportunity to once again showcase his skills at the highest level. For David Moyes, having someone who possesses undoubted talent and is also chomping at the bit during the remainder of the campaign is a heady cocktail.

The only question that remains is can Sunderland break the injury-plagued curse that seems to have been placed upon them and keep Gibson on the pitch? If they do they may just be able to pull away from the mire. Fingers crossed and four leaf clovers at the ready.