Phillips: ‘Brilliant’ Pritchard has same problem as McGeady at Sunderland
Kevin Phillips has called on Alex Pritchard to step up for Sunderland after an “inconsistent” start to life on Wearside.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the Stadium of Light legend said the 28-year-old is “a brilliant player” and needs to “lead by example” for the Black Cats.
Pritchard started today’s League One clash against Doncaster Rovers after a standout display in the League Cup defeat at Arsenal last Tuesday.
Speaking to club media (23 December) assistant manager Jamie McAllister highlighted the importance of Pritchard’s “versatility”.
Phillips compared the attacking midfielder to fans’ favourite Aiden McGeady.
“Pritchard reminds me a bit of McGeady,” he told Football Insider. “He’s been inconsistent.
“I have said all along, Pritchard is a brilliant player with a lot of quality but he needs to perform week in, week out.
“He showed against Arsenal, against top players what a good player he is. He was clearly their best player.
“The important thing is that he turns up in League One now. Lee Johnson needs him to lead by example.
“He needs to create and score a few more goals. It is simple, he needs to be more consistent.
“I’m sure he’s full of confidence after the performance against Arsenal.”
In other news, Sunderland have been backed by Phillips to sign ‘another O’Nien’ in January after confirmed news.