Mick Beale must make clear Sunderland call involving Rusyn and Burstow | OneFootball

With Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn currently competing for a starting berth at Sunderland FC, boss Mick Beale will need to make a decision over the pair's future soon rather than later.

A number of attackers left the club following the Black Cats' play-off semi-final defeat to Luton Town last year, leading to a number of transfers needed to help bring the goals back to the Stadium of Light.

With Sunderland still challenging for the top six, currently sitting in eighth place and just a point behind Hull City in sixth, there is still a good chance they can finish within the play-off places and potentially win promotion back to the Premier League.

However, it seems clear that Beale must make a decision on which striker is the first choice at the club, with the club's lack of goals becoming an issue in the league at the moment.

Both strikers signed for Sunderland in the summer

After selling Ross Stewart to Southampton last season in a reported £8 million deal, Sunderland also lost Eillis Simms and Amad Diallo after their loans with the club expired in the summer.

This necessitated a number of forward signings for the club to make, to replace the outgoing three players that scored a combined 30 goals in the Championship

Those included Nazariy Rusyn from Zorya Lugansk following an impressive 21 goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances for the Ukrainian club, as well as the loan of Mason Burstow from Chelsea until the end of the season.

These players joined a host of other signings coming into the club, including Birmingham City's Jobe Bellingham and Benfica's Luis Semedo, as they attempted to replace the goals they lost in the summer and improve on their play-off semi-final defeat.

Rusyn should start up front over Burstow until the end of the season

Despite a slow start to his career at the Stadium of Light, Rusyn's performances have shown why he should be chosen ahead of Burstow as a starter for the Black Cats.

Both men have been competing for the starting striker spot this season, with varying success for the strikers so far. Rusyn has started six times so far in the Championship, while Burstow boast ten starts, with Beale seemingly unable to pick which man should lead the line consistently for the squad.

However, his recent performances gives the Ukrainian the edge, as he has shown more in his appearances than the Chelsea forward.

Rusyn has scored twice in just 474 minutes so far in the league, compared to a singular goal for Burstow in over 700 minutes of football.

The striker's lack of goals are becoming a big issue for the club, despite the positive league position they find themselves in.

While they sit eighth in the table, Sunderland have only scored 41 times in 30 matches, which is second-lowest of the top ten teams in the league. Given the fact that five of those were in a shock 5-0 win over Southampton at the start of the campaign, it is clear that goals are something they are struggling to come by.

An over-reliance on Jack Clarke could come back to bite then. The former Tottenham Hotspur forward has scored 13 of the sides goals in the Championship, and has been involved in 40% of their goals in total.

The lack of contribution from the strikers is a glaring issue, with Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham currently the second top scorers with four. All the club's top scorers have been consistent starters all season, something that neither Burstow nor Rusyn can claim to have been afforded in the 2023/24 campaign thus far.

The squad could face even more upheaval come the summer, with Clarke linked with a move to a number of high-profile clubs like West Ham United and Lazio.

With the recent changes in the team's attack, the need for a consistent starter up front is necessary if the Black Cats want to push on toward promotion back to the Premier League.

This is another reason why Rusyn needs to be seen as the top choice for the club.

Mason Burstow will likely return to Chelsea once his loan finishes, and his performances so far make it unlikely the club would fork out the cash to make his deal permanent.

While he is young, the likelihood he will remain at the club is slim, so the club cannot waste the time trying to develop him at the expense of their strikers who will be at the club next season.

Rusyn has shown with his performances in recent weeks that he deserves a consistent run in the first team.

Two goals in his last five matches, of which only two were starts, show that he has the quality to play up top for Beale's side, but that a lack of game time is hampering his ability to get a run of form going.

The Ukrainian has the ability to push on and become a good player for the Black Cats, while the club cannot afford to keep chopping and changing their strikers if they want to remain in the top half of the table for much longer.

It is understandable why Beale did not make Rusyn his starting striker as soon as he came into the club, considering the former Dynamo Kiev man has admitted to struggling with the language and adapting to the English game, but with just three months left of the season, something needs to be done.

Beale will need to make a decision. Whether he picks Burstow or Rusyn, choosing one man to lead the line is the most important decision he needs to make.