I’ve won a Golden Boot and can see why Wilson Isidor’s falling short at Subderland
The Black Cats frontman could have had even more goals in his first season with the club
Football history is loaded with great goal scorers but a scorer of fantastic goals is not the same thing.
And as I have stated before, Wilson Isidor doesn’t come across as a natural finisher, to me.
As an ex-Golden Boot winner myself – albeit in New Zealand’s National League, a country not renowned for its football – I understand the difference.
Don’t get me wrong, I was not on the same planet in terms of level, but I’d like to think the fundamentals are the same.
There is no question Isidor has adapted well to the challenges of the Championship and he has scored 12 times so it’s difficult to argue with that.
But time and again he has grasped at opportunities this season, has hurried efforts under duress, and let’s be honest, he should have had a lot more than his current figure.
He seems to be better the less time he has to think. Sometimes I think he even tries too hard.
Maybe he’s too emotional at times and we all know with the ruthless goal scorers of the past, cold and efficient is preferable than hot-headed and inconsistent.
The two penalty misses against Sheffield United aside, there have been other instances when Isidor could have given Sunderland an easier ride and perhaps helped win them more points.
There is one component of his finishing that just isn’t up to scratch and that’s with his head.
Not only is he putting blemishes on his own record, he is hurting others too.
For instance, Trai Hume must be wondering what he has to do to acquire an assist where Isidor is involved.
Against Hull City, in the 1-0 home defeat, Hume fired over a wonderful cross and Isidor managed to head over from six yards.
The similar opportunity in the next game, again from a Hume cross, saw Eliezer Mayenda do what Isidor should have done with a nearly identical opportunity.
Then, on Tuesday night, with the score at 0-0 and at a crucial moment, not even Preston’s kindness in defence in allowing Isidor a free header, again from six yards, could urge him to take advantage.
It was a dreadful miss. Going 1-0 up gives Sunderland such a great lead and in the fact, they ended up conceding and then chasing the game.
In that respect I think selecting for two up front and eschewing the conventional 4-3-3 was ill-timed.
I assume Regis Le Bris feels he must have in-form Eliezer Mayenda in the lineup and he felt he should accommodate Isidor too after leaving him out twice.
But whereas Mayenda buzzes about making things happen, Isidor found it more challenging to get into the game.
That means giving more control in midfield while constraining the likes of Hume and Dennis Cirkin who love to get forward.
Overall there was a sense of what might have been.
Yes it was excellent for Romaine Mundle to score a beautiful goal.
But it is the bread-and-butter chances that need to be taken for Sunderland to fulfill their full potential.
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