Tottenham To Hold Key To Sunderland Pace Solutions?

Obviously, everyone with the sheer enlightenment to bring Roker Report into their lives is almost certainly a genius, but it doesn't take a genius to see that Sunderland's attack is severely lacking in some genuine pace.

It has been a glaring absentee from the attack for quite some time, and although Lee Congerton and Gus Poyet did pretty well with limited funds last summer, it was a problem they never really solved.

Now, reports suggest that Sunderland could seek answers at Tottenham Hotspur. There are multiple reports linking the Black Cats with a loan deal for Andros Townsend, while Aaron Lennon is also said to be available for the right price.

Neither player is exactly perfect, but both have pace in abundance. In addition, both are in their 20s and acclimatised to the Premier League, which is surely something that, given the summer recruitment patterns, is a strong concern for the club these days.

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To be clear, there is no actual link with Aaron Lennon yet. He's only reported to be available. However, you'd be surprised if he hadn't been at least mentioned IF the Townsend link has substance.

The problem with both would be that, whilst they offer one thing that is lacking, pace, neither are exactly famed for producing the other great deficiency in Sunderland's attacking play - a good quality final pass. Lennon, especially, has always been maligned for his product failing to match the positions he gets himself into, while Townsend seems to like shooting from distance more than he does passing.

Positionally, too, both like to play on the right wing, which is serious Adam Johnson territory. Ricky Alvarez likes playing there too, and Townsend in particular is even more similar in the sense that he's a left-footed right winger.

But, ultimately, if either player was perfect then neither would be within reach. You'd have to say that both, with the abundance of pace they have, were interesting names for Sunderland going into January.