Who replaces Embleton??

Confident Embley will extend his loan with us its best for his development and hes growing game on game

Quoted from Croxton

A temporary fix would put M Rose central and push Hess further forward? OR Vernam plays the free role and A Rose up with Wes?

For me, Mitch Rose isn't good enough on the ball to play that sort of a role (though he thinks he is). He's very strong physically and has an eye for goal (not just from the spot), but I don't think he's fluent enough in possession to fit in with the way the midfield is currently trying to play.

Hopefully, Embleton will stay because otherwise I think we're going to need to shake up the way the team plays if he departs. For me, it's a no-brainer for him to remain unless Sunderland are expecting him to play for them at all. He's settled here and doing well and he's done well enough to be guaranteed a place if fit. We're trying to play football again as well so the opportunity is there for him to have almost a full season doing well to help him stake a claim for Sunderland's first team next year.

I was thinking it more it would be Mitch Rose coming in to sit so that Hessenthaler and Clifton could use their energy a little bit higher up the pitch, knowing they've got a buffer between them and the back four.

Hmmm. Possibly, but I'm also not convinced about his mobility. He's not slow once he gets moving but has always struck me as a bit cumbersome and not particularly quick off the mark. Lots of bookings and a couple of red cards from lunging into challenges because he hasn't got there quickly enough. I think as the sitting midfielder, you ideally want somebody a bit nippier, but then you don't get many Kante's in the 4th Division.

Although we have not seen him yet. I'm expecting Whitehouse to fill the role, which if we keep Embleton until the end of season means we would carry on in the vein of trying to football in the right way and also carry that into next season due to the length of contracts Hess, Vernham, Clifford have been given and with Pringle being out of contract at the end of this season it would be brilliant for him to sign for us....the future is bright, it's black n white!!!

I don't think we have anybody else who can do what he does or has his technical ability. Sounds a bit defeatist but I genuinely think any XI we could field in his absence would be weaker.

Agree with Rodley. He's our best player, technically, runs at players, can turn a game and uses both feet to good effect. We don't have another player like him. I think there'll be plenty of scouts at L1 level who have noted him, but I'm hoping that he might stay longer than January based on the fact that he's starting every game for us, is enjoying himself and Sunderland wont want to loan him to a rival in the same league. I can't see him wanting to start afresh at another league 2 club mid season either.

That said, I think there's practically zero chance we would have him next season so hoping we can capitalise now. He's doing great and will soon be established at a higher level.

All sounds a bit like when we had Townsend.