Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray has admitted that Aji Alese needs to improve areas of his game despite his good performances.
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Alese, who made two senior appearances for West Ham United, joined Sunderland in the summer on a three-year contract.
The 21-year-old’s tenure on Wearside got off to a slow start, with just two brief substitute appearances and a start in the EFL Cup, before Mowbray handed him two consecutive league starts in the absence of Dennis Cirkin.
The centre-half also scored in Sunderland’s 2-2 draw against Watford on 17th September and Mowbray admitted that the player has performed brilliantly when given the opportunity.
Mowbray is of the view that Alese is strong and mobile when out of possession and stressed that the centre-back provides balance to his squad.
However, the Black Cats boss believes that Alese still lacks confidence and consistency in his game and emphasised that he needs to improve some aspects.
“What he’s brought to us is composure on the ball, and you could see at Reading he helped take their strikers out the game really, with the way we were able to spread them with that quick passing across the back”, Mowbray was quoted as saying by Chronicle Live.
“He fitted into that perfectly.
“Out of possession he’s strong and mobile and he has shown that.
“He still has to gain that confidence within himself, that he should be playing in the first team at Sunderland AFC.
“He isn’t a gregarious lad, and I’ll be pushing him to find that consistency and the belief that he should be in the team every single week.
“Like all players, there’s areas where he needs to improve.
“As a tall centre-half we want to improve his heading for example, but he gives the team balance and he’s done exceptionally well for us.”
Last season, the centre-back made 23 appearances for West Ham Under-21s, while playing 90 minutes in the Hammers’ Europa League clash against Dinamo Zagreb in December.
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