Sunderland are struggling for confidence after a disjointed start to the season.

The Black Cats are struggling for form following the appointment of Phil Parkinson as the new man to replace Jack Ross.

Two wins in Parkinson's eight games so far has left the Wearsiders sitting in seventh place in League One, and a staggering eight points off the top two.

Those automatic promotion spots are the only target set for Sunderland this season, and as it stands they're on track to fall short.

A number of Phil Parkinson's players have been accused of underperforming, but one of the main culprits is Will Grigg.

Here we take a look at the statistics behind the poor campaign of the £4million man.

For a signing who arrived for a sizeable fee for the third tier, things haven't gone all that well for Will Grigg.

The Northern Ireland international has featured 21 times for Sunderland so far this term, although 12 of those appearances have come from the substitutes' bench.

Grigg has scored just four goals so far this term, a tally which leaves much to be desired - particularly with one of those efforts coming while on international duty.

In addition to that, the 28-year-old has contributed just one assist so far this season, meaning that he's a decent representation of the underperforming nature of the Black Cats.

This lack of form is not surprising, however, given the statistics that support his goal and assists.

[freshpress-poll ]

 

Grigg has averaged just 0.9 shots per game this season, while only winning an average of 1.1 aerial duels per game.

This shows that while he isn't contributing to the goalscoring tally, he also showing much sign of improving on that record.

Some strikers make a name for their overall support play as they help those around them to prosper in a more free-flowing system, but the fact that Will Grigg has an average of just 0.5 key passes per game also puts an end to that theory.

Sunderland are no doubt under pressure to start finishing chances, and you'd think that if Will Grigg can find his shooting boots then he may well be the key to help the Black Cats to move up the table.