Gary Madine - is he any good? Bolton supporter gives his views on potential Sunderland signing

RR: So, Gary Madine. He’s been linked with a move to Sunderland after he was released by Cardiff. What are your thoughts on him as a player?

LOVS: He’s a target man, pure and simple. Our whole attack under Phil Parkinson was based around creating scenarios where Madine would head the ball towards a winger or attacking midfielder.

He’s alright with his feet, compared to other target man strikers.

He’s a confidence player.

Him and Neil Lennon didn’t having the best of working relationships (see the Brentford clip) and it was only when Parky arrived that he played well in a Wanderers shirt.

RR: What do you make of the fact Cardiff decided to release him two years after they signed him for a whopping £6m? Why do you think he wasn’t able to replicate his Bolton form down there?

LOVS: Given the fact that many clubs wouldn’t have been willing or able to pay a fee for him, it makes sense. They need him off the wage bill and he wants a fresh start.

I think there’s no doubt that we received a higher fee than he was worth, though it was deadline day and Neil Warnock was chasing promotion to the Premier League.

Like I mentioned above, he’s a confidence player. Whether it was the style or play or Warnock’s tactics, it just didn’t work.

As he showed last season with a spell at Sheffield United, he’s capable of being a useful player if a team can play to his strengths.

Photo by George Wood/Getty Images

RR: Do you think linking back up with Phil Parkinson would be a smart move? He’s a Newcastle fan and got himself into a bit of bother up here when he was younger, so some might say he’s not a great fit for us despite the fact we need a proper target man...

LOVS: Hopefully, playing for a manager who has faith in him will keep away any off field issues. Parky is a huge fan and Madine thrived under his management at Bolton, so it should work again at the SOL.

RR: Sunderland are in a situation where the three strikers we have got just aren’t contributing enough in terms of goals. Will Madine solve that problem at all?

LOVS: If the service is right, he’ll score. It may take him a couple of games, though he should manage to chip in with a few goals at this level.

RR: What would you say to any Sunderland supporters who aren’t sure about our club potentially signing Madine at such a crucial stage of the season?

LOVS: He’d be better than Kyle Lafferty.